Things I'll Never Say
by Albino Phoenix
Summary: Rachel returns to Lima after 5 years on Broadway. The one thing she hopes is to never run into the man she loves. What happens if she does? It could change everything... Rated M for mature content.
1. Just Three Words

**A/N: This is my very first Glee fanfic… please let me know how you like it!**

Disclaimer: I do not own Glee. 

Chapter One: Just Three Words

Her fingers nimbly pick at the soft seeds set into the fruit. The pomegranate was being difficult, not allowing the seeds to fall freely into the bowl. "All this work just to be healthy… I'm burning more calories than this fruit has."

"Rachel, you're stressed. Give me that… it's turning into mush." Her best friend said, plucking the red soggy mess from her hands. Kurt's hands began to work, taking the seeds out intact.

Rachel sighed and went to the kitchen sink to wash her hands. She turned the hot water on first, and then the cold allowing the liquid to reach a lukewarm feel. She pumped soap into her hand from the smiling Santa Claus perched over Kurt's sink. Kurt was a sucker for decorations… especially around Christmas time. She scrubbed her hands free of the red juice and bits of pomegranate. Content, she turned off the water and found a towel and dried her hands. She went back to the counter and saw that Kurt had finished cleaning the fruit and went to wash his hands.

"Honestly Rach, I don't know what is bothering you." He shut off the water and dried his hands. He turned to the chestnut haired girl and gave her a spill-the-beans look.

"It's nothing. Pomegranate is just so hard to clean." Rachel adverted her eyes from Kurt's. She did that whenever she lied to him, but of course Kurt knew this.

"Lies my dear… now fess up!" Kurt placed a hand on his hip and raised an eyebrow.

Rachel sighed. She knew she would never win. "Alright, alright." Rachel played with a strand of her hair, twisting it between her fingers. She admired the strand as the light caused it to turn a honey color.

"Rachel?" Kurt snapped his fingers in front of her face. "Hello?"

Rachel snapped out of her trance and smiled. "Sorry Kurt… I was just thinking."

"About?" Kurt was getting impatient with her, but he knew he would never get anything out of her if he rushed.

"My hair… the way the light shines on it, it looks like honey. He… he loved it when my hair was in the light."

"He… not him, Rachel?"

"I'm sorry!" She sank onto a bar stool that hugged the island counter in the middle of the kitchen. She took a handful of pomegranate seeds and popped them into her mouth. She chewed them slowly and looked at Kurt. He sat next to her, his elbow propped up on the table with his chin in his hand.

"Oh Rachel. How romantic! You still have feelings for him don't you! And you're nervous that you might run into him in Lima." Kurt swooned, his eyes glossing over.

"Kurt, how do you know so much?" Rachel couldn't help but smile.

"Sweetie… I'm your best friend. I know everything."

Rachel sighed and touched Kurt's arm. She couldn't believe how close they've gotten over the years. After graduation the 'gleeks' had gone their separate ways. Rachel had been given a scholarship to Juilliard and she became a Broadway star practically overnight. She moved to New York and was glued to the stage. Kurt had exploded in the fashion industry and owns his own name brand label. He frequently sends Rachel his designs in exchange for front row tickets to all her shows. Tina and Artie both stayed in Lima and had gotten married. Mercedes had also stayed in Lima and became the new music teacher at McKinley High. Finn had gotten a football scholarship and went onto the NFL for Ohio. That left Quinn and Puck. Quinn had decided to follow Finn in his career and landed a position on the cheer squad. And Puck and the baby?

Rachel's expression saddens as she remembered that day.

_RING. RING. Rachel's phone rang through her apartment in New York. She looked up from her latest Broadway script. RING. RING._

"_Hello, Rachel Berry speaking." _

"_Berry…" _

_Rachel knew this all too familiar voice. It was husky and low and there was only one person who called her by her last name._

"_Noah?" _

"_Yes Berry… I need to talk to someone. I need to talk to you." _

_Rachel's heart beat frantically. He _needed_ her. "Sure. Of course Noah." She sat up and got more comfortable. "How's Rebecca?"_

"_She's great. She just turned 5 and started kindergarten. Kid won't stop growing." He chuckled. _

"_Oh I forgot her birthday! Noah, I'm so sorry!" _

"_You didn't forget. You called right after your Broadway performance. You were in a rush, you probably don't remember."_

_Rachel sighed with relief. "Oh thank goodness. I never forget a birthday!" _

"_No… no you don't." She could hear him smiling. "That's not what I called you about. It's… Quinn."_

"_Yes?" Rachel sat up straighter. When Quinn had the baby she was granted full custody and allowed Puck visitation. At this point Finn knew about Puck and Quinn and had refused to speak with his best friend. He believed Quinn and stood by her side. _

"_Well… Finn received an offer to play for the NFL. Quinn is going to follow him on the cheering squad." He paused. "Rachel… I have full custody of Rebecca."_

"_Really?" Rachel wasn't sure if he was happy or sad about this. "That's…"_

"_Wonderful! I mean… Rebecca doesn't understand really. I'm livid with Quinn for abandoning her like this. But I finally get my little girl."_

"_Oh Noah, I'm so happy for you!" _

"_I just… don't know if I can do it on my own." _

_Rachel's heart fluttered. "Noah… I'm sure you'll do an amazing job. You have with these past 5 years with her. You've graduated high school AND Ohio State with honors. You got a job and stood up for you baby girl from day 1."_

"_Thanks… that's just what I needed to hear. Look Rebecca gets out of school in a few minutes, I have to go. Thanks again Berry!" Click. _

_Rachel numbly hit the 'end'. Why couldn't she tell him… it was just 3 words._

"Earth to Rachel!" Kurt's voice pulled her down to reality. "Sure you haven't seen Mr. Puckerman in almost 5 years, but you guys have remained friends this whole time. Why so nervous?"

"Because… I still… I…"

"Oh. My. God. Rachel Berry… you _love _Noah Puckerman don't you!?"

Rachel blushed and stared at her hands. "You knew I had feelings for him… and plus I thought Kurt Hummel knew _everything_." She teased.

"Well, I didn't mean _everything_ my dear! And I didn't know it was _love._ So… when did this love affair begin?"

"It never did. I soon realized after I left Ohio that I felt this way about him. It was nothing I felt for Finn, especially the way he treated Noah after he found out that Rebecca wasn't his." She drew circles on the counter with her forefinger. "Every time he called me in New York I was expecting him to ask me to come back. To be with him. As time passed I realized that he didn't want me… or need me. I'm afraid of getting broken."

Kurt placed his hand over his heart. "Oh Rach…"

Rachel gave a half smile. "I only agreed to come back because of you Kurt. I can't believe your still in Lima!"

Kurt laughed. "I keep my business at home." This was true. Kurt had turned his basement into a designer studio. "Plus I also stayed to help Mr. Schuester with Glee Club."

Suddenly, Kurt's phone began to ring. "My, my… who could this be?" Kurt slid off the bar stool and danced over to the phone. He picked up the phone and answered. "Kurt Hummel, may I ask who is calling. Oh hello. Why yes… yes she is." He eyed Rachel who stared with wide eyes. Kurt pulled the phone away from his ear and covered the receiver. "It's for you."

"For me? Who is it?" Rachel asked, reaching for the phone. No one knew she was in town, seeing how she had gotten there this morning. Both her dads knew but were on vacation for the holiday season.

Kurt said nothing and placed the phone in her hand.

"He-hello?"

**A/N: There you have it… Chapter One! The more reviews I get the faster Chapter Two will appear! Thank you for taking the time to read. Until next time!**


	2. Back to the Old Days

**A/N: Oh. My. God. You guys are so amazing! I couldn't believe it when I woke up this morning to find almost 50 reviews, story and author alerts! Like I said, the more feedback I get the sooner I post up chapters! Thanks again!**

Disclaimer: I do no own Glee. I also do no own _Defying Gravity_ or _Wicked._

Chapter Two: Back to the Old Days

"He-hello?" Rachel held her breath.

"Rachel? Rachel Berry? How have you been?! It's so good to hear from you!"

Rachel shot Kurt a scolding look. "Mr. Schuester. I'm fine and it's nice to hear from you too! How's Glee Club?"

"It's… not as good as when I had you guys, but these kids work just as hard. I would really like for you to come see them this afternoon if you have a chance. If Kurt didn't tell you, he stops by to help me with Glee. You should come along."

"Oh, Mr. Schuester… I'd like that a lot! Of course I'll come."

"Great! I'll see you guys in a half hour!" Mr. Schuester hung up the phone and Rachel did the same, handing the device to Kurt.

"You could have told me it was Mr. Schue."

Kurt took the phone and placed it back onto the station. He grinned at his friend. "Where's the fun in that?"

"Oh Kurt!" Rachel hopped of the stool. "Mr. Schue said to meet him in a half hour. I'll go freshen up." Rachel took another handful of pomegranate seeds and threw them into her mouth before heading to the guest room that Kurt had set up for her.

10 minutes later Kurt and Rachel were in the car driving to McKinley High, their old school. Passing through familiar streets had comforted Rachel, until they reached the intersection at McKinley Elementary. They were held at a red light and while waiting Rachel gazed over to the school grounds were dozens of children spilled out of the small school, greeting their parents who picked them up. She noticed one particular girl as she bounced down the sidewalk.

Her pigtails were curly and dark brown, bouncing as she made her way out of school. Her eyes shone brightly and she hitched up her much too big backpack. The green bag seemed to swallow the girl, threatening to fall off several times. The tiny girl held fast to it and continued to walk. There was something about her that made her seem familiar to Rachel. Rachel followed the path the girl was headed and then it hit her. _'That's Rebecca!'_

Waiting by a large, black pick-up truck was Noah Puckerman. Her Noah. He seemed unchanged by the passing time; the only notable difference was that his hair had grown out slightly; the infamous mohawk was a thing of the past. Kurt seemed unaware of Rachel's spying and began to pull away when the light had turned green. The last thing she saw was Noah picking up his little girl and giving her a kiss, before placing her in the truck.

Rachel's heart felt heavy as she forced herself to turn and face forward. The feeling was written across her face.

"Rachel?"

"Huh?" Rachel looked at Kurt, who was getting out of the car.

"You okay? We're here."

Rachel nodded and unbuckled her seatbelt, finally noticed that they were sitting in the high school parking lot. She grabbed her purse and slid out of the car and closes the door. She told herself to pull it together before Kurt noticed. The two best friends walked into the building heading towards the main office. Kurt flashed a dazzling smile and the lady at the desk nodded.

"Mr. Hummel, nice to see you again. And…" The receptionist looked at Rachel.

"Oh, this is Rachel Berry. She will be assisting me today."

The lady nodded and opened a drawer, pulling out a visitor's badge. "Please sign here." She pointed a manicured finger to the clipboard on the counter. Rachel did as she was told, without putting a gold star next to her name, and took the badge.

"Thank you." Rachel said clipping the badge to her shirt. Kurt took her hand and led her down the all too familiar hallway of her former years. "Wow… things sure haven't changed." Rachel noted her surroundings… the lockers, the trophy cases, the water fountains, and the bulletin board where she had signed up for Glee… the bulletin board where she received her first slushie facial. Rachel sighed and shook her head. "Those were the days." She tried to keep her tone light. She didn't want to Kurt to see her so conflicted… she had said enough back at his house.

As the pair approached the music room where Glee rehearsed, the sound of music and vocals floated out. Smiling, Rachel rushed forward and knocked on the door, opened it and let herself in. Mr. Schue was singing and dancing with the kids and it seemed as though it was just a warm up. Mr. Schue spun around and saw Kurt and Rachel in the doorway. He turned the stereo off and smiled.

"Rachel! Kurt! Wow, it's been a while!" He said this mostly to Rachel. He stepped forward and gave Rachel a quick hug and then patted Kurt on the shoulder. "How's the stage been treating you?"

"Oh I love it!" Rachel beamed. "I took some time off though to come back for the holidays. I start my role as Elphaba in_ Wicked_ end of January."

"_Wicked_?" Mr. Schue smiled. "I understand you've been waiting for that role."

"You have no idea! I worked so hard over the years and I finally get the part I've always wanted."

"Say… why don't you perform that duet you guys did a couple years ago?" Mr. Schue looked between Kurt and Rachel. "You're both here and I'd loved to show my kids what talent I had back in the day."

"Thanks Mr. Schue!" A girl squeaked out behind him. The rest of the group agreed, only teasing their coach.

Mr. Schue turned back and looked at his group. "You know what I mean guys!" He laughed and sat down, cueing up the music.

Kurt looked at Rachel. "Well, let's give them a show!"

Rachel nodded. She knew this song by heart and was more than excited to perform it on Broadway in a couple of months. She took a deep breath and began:

"Something has changed within me.

Something is not the same.

I'm through with playing by the

Rules of someone else's game."

Kurt took a breath and gave a smirk as he began his part:

"_Too late for second guessing_

_Too late to go back to sleep._

_It's time to trust my instincts_

_Close my eyes and leap."_

"**It's time to try defying gravity.**

**I think I'll try defying gravity.**

**Kiss me goodbye, I'm defying gravity.**

**And you won't bring me down."**

"I'm through accepting limits

'Cause someone says they're so

_Some things I cannot change._

_But 'till I try I'll never know."_

"Too long I've been afraid of

_Losing love- I guess I've lost._

**Well if that's love it comes at**

**Much too high a cost."**

"**I'd sooner buy defying gravity.**

**Kiss me goodbye, I'm defying gravity.**

**I think I'll try defying gravity.**

**And you won't bring me down." **

"**I'd sooner buy defying gravity.**

**Kiss me goodbye, I'm defying gravity.**

**I think I'll try defying gravity.**

**And you won't bring me down." **

"**Bring me down."**

Rachel ended the song with her famous belting and finished smiling. She looked at the Glee club and they were all on their feet clapping. Mr. Schue clapped the loudest. Kurt took Rachel's hand and they bowed. The group of glee members, old and new, began complimenting and working with each other. Rachel offered a few pointers to some females on how to really hit those hit notes and Kurt gave fashion advice. Mr. Schue smiled. _'Those two haven't changed.'_

"Oh hold up!" A voice boomed from behind them. "Kurt Hummel… how dare you not tell me Rachel was here?!"

Rachel turned around and saw Mercedes Jones in the doorway, putting down her purse. "Miss Diva herself is back in the house. Girl get over here!" Mercedes held up her arms and Rachel gladly embraced her old high school friend.

"Wow Mercedes you look fantastic!" Rachel admired Mercedes' new slim figure, as the music teacher turned around. "The years have been good to you!"

"Thank you, thank you." Mercedes smiled and tugged on Rachel's arm. "Look at you! Miss Broadway Star! How come I never got tickets?"

Rachel looked over at Kurt who had found something interesting under his nails.

Mercedes laughed. "Not to worry girl. Just send one to me personally next time!"

Rachel nodded and sat down with Kurt and Mercedes as Mr. Schue called everyone back to order. He apologized to the Glee Club for not properly introducing Rachel. "You might have seen her in a couple of Broadway productions!"

Rachel blushed and named a few she was in, not getting much respond from the club. She was a little disappointed in their lack of interest, but she brushed it aside. Rachel Berry was no longer the attention seeking diva she was in high school. She played with a strand of hair, admiring how the light caught it. Kurt lightly slapped her hand away, knowing what she was thinking.

Glee practice went smoothly the rest of the hour. Kurt helped with choreography and Mercedes with vocals. Mr. Schue supervised and gave his input and Rachel sat quietly, observing the young kids. She definitely missed the high school days. She picked at her hair again, wrapping the strand around her finger watching the chestnut strand turn golden.

"You know… I've always like your hair in the light like that."

Rachel's heart seemed to stop. She slowly turned and saw him for the very first time in almost 5 years.

Her Noah.

**A/N: AHH I know I'm evil, but like I said…. Reviews are my life! The more I get the more eager I am to write for you guys. And not just reviews… but all the people who favorited this story and favorited ME! You guys are awesome. Lots of reviews = Chapter 3 posted soon!! Until next time!**


	3. Not Forgotten

**A/N: Wow thanks for all the reviews!! Truly, you guys are what feed this story. I hope I don't let you down. **

**To clarify about Rebecca… she is currently 6 years old, going on 7. I decided to put the 'gleeks' in their junior/senior year when Rebecca was born. After some calculations, this is what I came to. This also means that the 'gleeks' are roughly around 22-25 age range. Sorry for any confusion! Now on with the story!**

Disclaimer: I do not own Glee.

Chapter Three: Not Forgotten

Noah Puckerman stood in the doorway of the practice room with his 6 year old daughter, Rebecca, in his arms. What made him stop there was the familiar head of hair that occupied one of the chairs in front of him. As the head swayed back and forth to the music, the chestnut locks shimmered to a honey color and back. Rachel.

"You know… I've always like your hair in the light like that." He said, not sure the reaction he would get from her. It's been about 5 years since they've seen each other, even though they've keep up communication over the phone and occasional email. He noticed her head stop and slowly turn, her body following in the chair. She looked at him; her eyes were wide with shock. Slowly, they soften and a smile crept to her lips.

"Noah." Was all Rachel could muster. She admired his physical build… it hadn't changed much since high school. The mohawk was gone and he allowed his hair to grow out, still keeping it short. A patch of facial hair stayed on his chin giving him a more mature look. She felt her hands go clammy and her throat dry. _'This is silly.' _Rachel thought. _'I shouldn't be so nervous around him. Calm down… he won't bite you.'_

She silently took a deep breath and smiled. "Wow, it's been a while."

Noah nodded and set Rebecca down, who made a beeline for Mr. Schuester. "Uncle Will!" The young girl exclaimed, skipping over the man. "Look what I made today!" Noah chuckled as his daughter pulled out a picture from her bag, accidently spilling a box of crayons in the process. Mr. Schue laughed and helped pick up the crayons and listened as Rebecca explained her picture. Noah took a seat next to Rachel and stared at her.

"What?" Rachel instinctively reached for her face, hoping there wasn't anything on there.

"Berry," She hated that he wouldn't use her first name. "Why didn't you tell me you were going to be in town?"

"I… uh…" Rachel muttered, not sure what to say. She was flattered that he was asking why he wasn't notified about her arrival._'Well, I was hoping to avoid you the whole time because I'm in love with you and I don't want to get hurt.'_ Is what she really wanted to say. She shot a look at Kurt who instantly bounced over.

"Well well, Mr. Puckerman. To what do we owe this pleasure?" Kurt said straddling a chair in front of the couple.

"Nothing really… Rebecca really wanted to show Mr. Schue what she drew today. I knew he had practice today so we came over to say hi. I didn't know Berry was gonna be here."

"_Rachel_," Kurt emphasized. "came for the holidays. In fact, I had asked her to come on such short notice, so no one really knows she is here. Her plane landed this morning." Kurt brushed his bangs out of his eyes. "Simple as that."

"Oh…" Noah said. "How long are you staying?" He turned his head to Rachel, hoping to get an answer from her.

While Kurt had been giving Noah the details, Rachel had finally managed to find her voice. She had scolded herself again and cleared her throat. "I guess whenever I feel like leaving. I do have to be back by the last week of January. That's when I start rehearsing for _Wicked._" She smiled.

"_Wicked_ eh?" Noah scratched his head. "I'm glad you didn't stick around in Lima. You've gone big Berry."

"Yes, yes I have." Rachel stared at her hands. She hated small talk and she hated how he said that he was glad she didn't stay in Lima, although she could have misinterpreted that statement, but she was too absorbed in his presence to notice. She hated that she couldn't find anything interesting to talk about with Noah Puckerman. She didn't want to bore him right off the bat. She didn't want him to have to relive Boring Diva Rachel from high school. Her thoughts were broken when Rebecca had bounced up to them.

"Daaadddy. I have to gooooo." She squeezed her knees together and hopped in place, exaggeratedly the severity of the problem. "Nooooow."

Noah sighed and got up. It always made him uncomfortable to take Rebecca in the men's room. This is where Mom would come in. "Come on."

Rachel stood up. She could read the discomfort on Noah's face. "Noah… I can take her. I have to go too, so it's no problem." She blushed. Having to talk about her bathroom needs was not something she wanted to discuss with him.

Noah looked relieved. "Really? Thanks Berry." Noah bent down so he was on eye level with his daughter. "My friend Rachel is going to take you to the bathroom, okay sweetie?"

"Okaaaay!" Rebecca cried impatiently, her dance become livelier. "I just have to go now!"

"Come on." Rachel held out her hand to the young girl, not sure if she would take it. To Rachel's relief, Rebecca clutched her hand and began to pull her out into the hallway. Once the girls were out in the hallway, Rebecca steered them to the girl's bathroom.

"I don't know why Daddy has to take me to the bathroom. I go all by myself at school." Rebecca huffed as she let go of Rachel's hand and opened the door to the restroom. "I'm a big girl."

"Why don't you tell him that?" Rachel asked, following behind the young girl.

"I do! It's not like I'm gonna get sucked down the toilet!" Rebecca went into a stall and closed the door with a 'click'. Rachel, who didn't really need to go, stood by the sinks and waited. "So, you're Daddy's friend."

Rachel wasn't sure if that was a question or not. "Yes I am. We went to school together."

"Oh… you're that pretty girl in the picture next to Mommy." Rebecca flushed the toilet and came out of the stall. "Daddy has a picture of a bunch of people on his desk at home. Uncle Will and Daddy are in it and so is Mommy and Mrs. Tina and Mr. Artie. I think you're the girl next to Mommy."

Rachel's heart fell a little. Mommy was Quinn, someone Rebecca will probably never see again. "I guess so." She smiled. "Your daddy and I were good friends in high school."

"Daddy told me guys were boyfriend and girlfriend." Rebecca washed her hands.

Rachel sighed. Of all things to tell her… well, at least he didn't deny it. "We were."

"What happened?" Rebecca looked at Rachel, waiting for an answer. Rachel couldn't believe how inquisitive Rebecca was.

"We…"

"Berry? Rebecca?" Noah's voice called from the other side of the door. "You guys done?"

Saved by the bell… actually by Noah. "Yes, we're done." Rachel called ushering Rebecca outside before she could ask anymore questions. "Sorry it took so long. Rebecca is quite a talker."

"Yeah… she doesn't get that from me though." Noah frowned a bit at the thought of Quinn. "Anyway, Rebecca, go get your things. It's getting dark and we need to light the Menorah."

"Oh yeah!" Rebecca's eyes grew wide. "Tonight's the first night, right Daddy?"

Noah nodded, "It is. Now get your stuff." He watched Rebecca disappear into the room and then turned to Rachel. "Thought I'd come save you. Rebecca likes to question everybody and everything."

Rachel nodded, glad he did save her. "It was no problem. But tonight is the first night of Chanukah isn't it? I was so caught up with packing to get here, I completely forgot my Menorah. And my dads are gone for vacation… so the house is locked up." Rachel's face fell. She'd be missing the whole Jewish holiday of Chanukah and that would ruin her whole vacation.

"Why don't you come celebrate with us?" Noah offered. He shoved his hands into his pockets. "We're going to my mom's tonight."

"I don't want to intrude."

"Berry… Chanukah is meant to spend with family, so you shouldn't have to be alone. Plus it's not like you're not Jewish, my mom wouldn't mind." _'Hell, she'll love the fact that I'm bring home a Jewish girl.'_

"Well… if it's okay with you, I'd be more than happy to come." Rachel smiled, her mind was racing.

"Come by in half hour?" Noah asked, just as Rebecca raced out of the room with her belongings.

"Sure." Rachel tugged at her sleeve nervously. "I'll see you in half an hour then."

Noah smiled and nodded, taking his daughter's hand and leading her out of the school. Rachel silently cursed herself. _'What have I gotten myself into?!'_

**A/N: I would like to apologize in case I have not gotten anything right about Chanukah… or if I don't in the future. I am not Jewish, but have tried to research it a little. I'll try the best I can. I do not mean to offend anyone. Sorry this chapter was so short… next one will be longer I promise! Keep those reviews coming. Until next time!!**


	4. Shalom: Peace Be With You

**A/N: You haven't let me down… so I won't let you down. If you didn't read my notes at the end of Chapter Three is said: "I would like to apologize in case I have not gotten anything right about Chanukah… or if I don't in the future. I am not Jewish, but have tried to research it a little. I'll try the best I can. I do not mean to offend anyone."**

**So on with the show!!**

Disclaimer: I do not own Glee. 

Chapter Four: Shalom: Peace Be With You

Rachel nervously flattened her hair as she rang the doorbell of the Puckerman's residence. She turned back to see Kurt pull out of the driveway, give her an encouraging smile and drive off. She turned back to the door, terrified.

"_Don't be so nervous!" Kurt exclaimed, running a flat iron through Rachel's hair. "It won't kill you… plus you don't want to miss out on your traditions and holiday!" _

"_I know, I know." Rachel cried. She glanced at the clock. In another 20 minutes she'd be standing at his door, ringing his bell. "It's just… the one thing I promised myself was that I wasn't going to see him. Chanukah, Kurt, lasts for 8 days! And I can't go over for just one night… no, I have to spend 8 of them with him." Her heart fluttered. 8 days with Noah… her Noah and she didn't even need an excuse to see him. They were just going to celebrate their Jewish holiday together and that's it. Rachel's face fell at this thought… she didn't want to spend _just_ Chanukah with him._

_Kurt tugged at her hair a little harder than needed. "Rachel you really need to stop spacing out on me. TALK!" He sat down next his best friend and took her hands in his. "I know something is bothering you. Just tell me. I know it's about Noah." _

_Rachel sighed. "Kurt. I love you and you're amazing." _

"_I know." Kurt grinned. "Now, what's up?" _

"_Kurt you know how I feel about him. I'm just afraid he won't feel the same way. I'm afraid that all I'll get with him are these 8 days and the rest of my vacation will be Noah-free. I don't want my vacation ruined… I _need _this break. But… I…" _

"_Honey…" Kurt placed a finger to her lips. "Don't worry. I'll take care of it! Now, get dressed, we don't want you late!" _

Rachel replayed the scene in her head from 20 minutes ago. Just as she predicted she was now on Noah Puckerman's porch, ringing his bell. She waited just a few more seconds before the door opened. In the doorway stood a middle aged woman, about a head shorter than Rachel, dressed nicely with a dark gray shawl wrapped around her. She didn't smile or frown when she saw Rachel, her expression blank until her eyes saw the silver Star of David dangling from a silver chain around Rachel's neck.

"Ah, Shalom! You must be Rachel, Noah's friend." A smile broke on the lady's face as she reached out her hand and took Rachel's.

"Shalom." Rachel said, shaking Ms. Puckerman's hand.

"It's so lovely to finally meet you. Noah has told me about you. It's a shame you are alone this year, so we are more than happy to share this holiday with you." Noah's mother pulled Rachel into the house and into the living room. The room was small, yet comfortable with a Menorah sitting on top of the mantle. Rachel noticed all the pictures in the room, ranging from Noah to his younger sister and some of Rebecca.

"You have a very lovely home." Rachel picked up a photo of Noah and Rebecca, admiring the bond they shared.

"Yes. Thank you." Ms. Puckerman drew the shawl tighter around her. "How do you know Noah?"

"Oh…" Rachel didn't know if Noah had actually mentioned they had dated, so she left that tid-bit out. It was only for a few days anyway. "We went to high school together. We both did Glee Club."

Ms. Puckerman's face began to soften. "So you know about Rebecca?"

"Oh yes!" Rachel said. "I was very supportive of Noah and his decisions."

"Funny… he has never really mentioned you until now." The woman casted a glance at Noah, who was entering the room. "Rachel is here. From _high school_ Noah."

Noah gulped. "Hey Berry. Nice of you to come." He tried to advert his mother's glare and question. "I, uh… need help in the kitchen. Mom… can you check on Bec in the tub please?" Noah grabbed Rachel's hand before his mom could protest and pulled her into the kitchen. Once the sounds of his mother's footsteps died away from the stairs, Noah sighed in relief. "Sorry about that. My mom is a little… nuts."

"It's okay." Rachel played with her hand that Noah had grabbed. It seemed to burn and the same feeling crept to her cheeks. "She seemed a bit confused though. You never mention me back in high school?"

"Berry… what was there to mention?"

"Well, the fact that we dated?"

Noah groaned. "That was for like what, 4 days? My mom would have flipped if I told her."

"Why? Your mom wouldn't you let you date anyone?" Rachel teased. She went over to the stove to see what was cooking. In one pan a batch of potato pancakes were frying. Her favorite.

"My mom… really wants me to date a 'nice, Jewish girl'." Noah went the cupboard and pulled out some plates. "She always has. That's why I never really said anything about you. Until now that is… I'm gonna get it when you leave tonight." He laughed and counted out the plates, then grabbed the cups.

"Oh." Was all Rachel could say. She flipped the pancakes over and checked the other pots, occasionally stirring them. "Well have you found that 'nice, Jewish girl' then?" Rachel stood still and stopped breathing so she wouldn't mishear what he said.

"Nope. Rebecca, my mom and Arin are the only Jewish girls in my life." Noah placed the cups and plates on the table. "Why?" he asked, turning to look at Rachel. She had her back to him and continued stirring the pots.

"Just curious, trying to catch up on people's lives is all." Rachel responded, the answer Noah gave her still didn't answer the real question Rachel wanted to ask. It was too soon for that though. She cleared her throat and asked something else. "So… how's work going?"

"Work? Its going I guess. I got laid off recently, so I had to turn back to my yard business. It's a little slow seeing how we didn't get any snow this winter." Noah had recently lost his office desk job. He turned his pool cleaning business into a year long yard maintenance business. He mowed grass and cleaned pools in the summer; raked leaves and cleaned gutters in the fall and the winter he shoveled snow and cleared sidewalks. "Until we get something… I might not work at all this season." He laughed, yet it was a fake laugh. He really needed the money. Being a single dad had it perks, women love single dads, but he couldn't do it alone. Rebecca was getting bigger and growing girls need more clothes and food and newer, more expensive toys.

"I hope it picks up for you." She turned the stove down, keeping the food warm. "I heard we're suppose to have a dry winter though."

"Thanks Berry."

"Just saying." She finally turned around and looked at him. "You could always move up north. We get tons of snow."

Before Noah could respond, Rebecca bounced into the room. Her curly hair was put into braids and she wore a simple blue dress. "Well… how do I look?" She spun around, enjoying the feeling she spun around again. Noah laughed and caught her as she fell.

"Very beautiful." Noah kissed Rebecca on the head and let her go. The young girl went up to Rachel.

"You look very beautiful too. Doesn't she Daddy?" Rebecca turned and looked at her father, waiting for an answer. Rachel was too; a blush creeping to her cheeks.

Noah smiled and looked at Rachel. She wore dark skinny jean with a black cashmere sweater and simple black boots. "Yes, she looks very beautiful too."

Rachel's heart seemed to stop and she smiled shyly. "Well…" she managed to say. "Your dad doesn't look to bad himself now, does he?"

Rebecca placed her hands on her hips. "Daddy _always_ looks handsome."

Noah chuckled and moved to the stove to check on the food. "Well, food's done. Let's get this party started."

He had meant it jokingly of course. After they lit the first candle of the Menorah and said the traditional Jewish prayers the Puckerman family and Rachel began to eat. They all sat in the dining room and enjoyed their meal together, talking and laughing. Soon the conversation turned to Rachel.

"So," Ms. Puckerman started, "Rachel, how's New York been treating you? Have someone waiting for you to return?" She smiled and winked at Rachel. Noah groaned and gave Rachel an apologetic look.

"New York is amazing! And no…" She looked at Noah. "I don't have anyone waiting."

Ms. Puckerman kicked her son under the table. "Oh? That's too bad. I hear you're in Broadway?"

"Oh yes." Rachel began, but stopped. She didn't want to bore anyone. She picked at the food on her plate, hoping no one would ask more questions.

"Which ones have you been in?" This question was from Noah, who actually looked and seemed interested. Rachel hesitated.

"_Les Miserables, Hello, Dolly!, Grease, Cinderella…_ just to name a few." Rachel took a bite of food.

"Who did you play in those?" Noah asked, leaning forward slightly. Rachel smiled and went into depth about her roles, the songs and costumes. Rebecca seemed interested in _Cinderella_ and Rachel was glad that no one seemed bored.

"When I return I start _Wicked_. Of course, I already told you that." Rachel blushed, hating how she repeated the information.

"I'm excited for you." Noah said honestly. "You've always wanted that part, correct?"

Rachel nodded and swept her hair off her shoulders. "Only since it appeared on Broadway… the story line is so intriguing and the characters are so complex. I really have my work cut for me this time."

"I think you can do it." Noah smiled. He got up and began clearing the table. Rachel joined him and watched as his family moved into the living room to play a few rounds of dradle. They were alone again.

"You know… you don't have to pretend to be interested for you mom's sake." Rachel placed the dirty plates in the sink and turned the hot water on.

"What makes you think that?"

"You never were interested in anything like that before." She took the cups from Noah and placed them in the sink as well.

"I like to catch up on people's lives, that's all." Noah mocked, his famous Puck grin shining through. "But seriously, I was interested. I'm jealous Berry. You got out of Lima. You're not a 'Lima Loser'."

"Who's a 'Lima Loser'?" Rachel asked, glaring at Noah. "If you think you are, guess again mister." She turned to the dishes and began to clean them. "You, out of all people, are not."

"What makes you say that?" He took the clean dish from her, rinsed, dried and put it away.

"Look what you've done with Rebecca. You made it through all the hard times and heartaches just for her. You worked your butt off just so you could have her. You've gone through so much, more than I could ever go through and you did it all alone. You never abandoned your little girl. You are good, caring father and wonderful person Noah. And you are certainly not a 'Lima Loser'." Rachel finished the last dish and handed to Noah. He grinned at her as he put it away.

"You know Berry; you always know what to say. Thanks."

They make their way into the living room where Rebecca was playing dradle with her grandmother. A pile of gelt wrappings were next to the 6 year old and she popped another chocolate coin in her mouth.

"Alright young lady. No more chocolate for you." Noah said, sitting next to his mom. Rebecca gave him a pout but Noah didn't waiver. Rachel smiled at the young girl's face, positive that she would give in if Rebecca gave her a face like that. "Wanna play a round Berry?" Noah asked, twirling the dradle in his fingers.

"You're on, Puckerman." Rachel replied, scooting closer to the table top. They played several rounds for what seemed like hours until headlights appears through the window and honking was heard. Rachel looked at her watch and realized it was Kurt. "Sorry, that's my ride." She got up and grabbed her belongings before turning to the Puckerman family. "Shalom and good night."

"We'll see you tomorrow night?" Ms. Puckerman asked, a glimmer of hope flickering in her eyes.

Rachel looked at Noah, who nodded. "I'd love to. Good night." She waved and headed out the front door. AS she went to close the door she realized someone was there.

"Berry, thanks for coming. I had… it was fun." Noah ran his hand over his head where his mohawk use to sit. "I was wondering… if you're not busy tomorrow… want to grab some lunch?" He peered at her shyly before sticking his hands in his pockets.

"It was fun and thank you for inviting me." Rachel rummaged through her purse and pulled out a pen and paper. "I got a new cell phone number… call me. I'm free all day." She scribbled down her number neatly and handed it to him. "Good night Noah." She smiled before turning down the stairs.

"Night." He called to her and headed back into the house, staring at the piece of paper in his hands.

Rachel climbed into the cab of Kurt's car and buckled in.

"So…"

Rachel looked over at her best friend. "What?" she asked innocently.

"I want details. Now." He simply stated as he backed out of the driveway.

Rachel sighed. At least Noah would have it worse with his mother.

**A/N: WHEW!! Done and done. Let me know what you think! Sorry it was a little slow, I promise to pick it up a bit. Keep those reviews coming! Next up… lunch time, but something interrupts them. Good or bad? Maybe both. You'll just have to wait and see!! Until next time!!**


	5. I Think I Need You

**A/N: Thanks again for all the amazing reviews! They really bring a smile to my face and really inspired me to keep writing. I hope I can keep making you guys happy with this story! Thanks again =D**

Disclaimer: I do not own Glee. Please stop torturing me.

Chapter Five: I Think I Need You

"Noah."

Noah turned around to the source of the voice. His mother. Rebecca had fallen asleep on her lap, one of the braids coming undone.

"Sorry Mom." Noah picked up his little girl off his mom and cradled her in his arms. "We're going home anyways. Rebecca has school in the morning." He shifted his daughter so her head was now resting on his shoulder.

"Noah." His mom said again. She was a woman of little words. Noah knew something was up.

"It's about Berry, isn't?" Noah sighed.

"Why didn't you tell me you guys went to high school together? Rachel's a nice, Jewish girl, Noah."

"Mom, Berry and I are just friends. We always have been." Noah's mom gave him a look. It's that look a mother gives her son when she knows he's lying. Noah tried to stare his mother down, but broke. "Okay." He gave in. "We dated for like four days junior year." He waited for his mother to flip out. She never did.

"Oh Noah." She looked sad.

"What?" He shifted Rebecca's weight in his arms.

"Noah, she knew about Rebecca the whole time. And stood by your side though it all, didn't she?"

"Yes she did." Now that he thought about it, Rachel had stood by him through everything. She was there when the news about whom the real father of the baby was. She was there when Finn turned his back on Noah and ended their friendship. She was there when Quinn had verbal abused Noah, knowing he couldn't do anything back if he wanted to see Rebecca. She was there when Rebecca was born and when Noah fought for custody. Even when Rachel left for New York, she was supportive when Quinn had left and Noah had sole custody. Rachel never missed a birthday and always sent cookies around the holidays. "She is something, isn't she?" Noah said in awe.

"Noah, honey, you're tired."

"I know, that's why we're headed home."

"No, you're tired." She repeated. "You're tired and alone. You know, you don't have to do this alone."

"You mean Berry? Mom, I can't. She's on Broadway living her dream. I don't want to ruin it for her."

"Maybe you won't ruin it. But you won't know if you don't try." She got off the couch and walked over to her son and granddaughter. "I'm not asking for it to be Rachel, but the way you look at her… she might as well be." She kissed Noah's hand, being too short to reach his face. She then landed a kiss on Rebecca's head. "I want you both to be happy."

"Thanks Mom." Noah bent over and kissed his mom's cheek.

"Oh and have fun on your date." His mom grinned.

"How'd you…" Noah asked and then noticed the open living room window over the porch. "Mom…" Noah groaned. He shifted Rebecca so he could grab his keys off the end table. "Goodnight."

"Love you Noah."

"Love you too."

Noah woke up the next day and got ready for school. Well he wasn't going to school, but someone had to get up to get Rebecca ready. He rolled over to his side and hit the snooze button, wanting those 5 minutes of extra sleep more than anything in the world. He slowly drifted back to sleep and as soon as he became unconscious the alarm went off again. Noah groaned and propped himself on his elbow staring at the clock, as if trying to make time go back 5 more minutes. The clock continued screeching, unaware of the irritation it caused Noah. He hit the 'off' button, much to his dismay and rolled out of bed. He stretched his arms over his head and yawned loudly, scratching his side. He shuffled his way into the small kitchen to start a pot of coffee. As he was adding the water to the machine he noticed a piece of paper next to coffee pot.

It was the 10 digit number that Rachel had given him the night before. Noah felt nervous at even the thought of calling her. _'Why did I ask her out on that date?! It isn't even a date! Just friends casually getting together over food. No big deal!' _

Noah tried to calm himself down a bit. He finished fixing up the coffee pot, flipped the switch to 'on' and headed down the hallway to Rebecca's room. Stopping outside the last door on the right, he peered into the overly done girly room. Her walls were a soft pink color with wall stickers of butterflies and little hearts. The bed was against the wall, the foot of the bed next to the large window over looking the back yard. Noah eased his way into the room, continuing to admire Rebecca's decoration style. Next to her bed was her night stand, where several cups of water and juice sat. She always got thirsty at night and was too small to reach the cupboard where the cups were. Above her bed were several pictures she drew in art class, ranging from dogs to cats to her and Noah. At the foot of Rebecca's bed was her toy chest, spilling out onto the floor. The toys crept their way up to the small table across the room, like ivy growing over a house.

Noah sighed and picked up a few of her toys and put them back into her chest. "You should really clean your room." He said to the sleeping figure. Rebecca didn't even stir. It was going to take a lot more to get her up. "Cookies for breakfast? No… okay then." He peered at Rebecca, who only rolled over and buried herself deeper into the covers.

"You leave me no choice then." Noah walked back to the door and placed his hand on the light switch. "One… two… three!" On three he flipped the light on. Rebecca squinted her eyes tighter and threw the blanket over her head. "Daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaad!" she cried, fake sobs emitting from the fabric. "Nooooo."

"Sorry… time to get up though." Noah said, grabbing the blanket and gently pulling it off the irritated child. "I know how you feel sweetie, but you need to get up. School time!" He tried to sound cheerful.

"No!" Rebecca practically screamed. She tried to grab the blanket and pull it back over her, but Noah held firm. "Daddy." She wailed, frustrated.

"Rebecca." Noah replied, in the same tone she used. He climbed into bed with her and snuggled close to her. "Time to get up." He whispered. "Or… let's just sleep." Noah closed his eyes, wishing that he really could go back to bed. Rebecca fell silent, content that her dad was letting her sleep. Soon the bed began to rock. Noah was dramatically moving around in the bed, looking like he was having a fit in his sleep. He threw an arm over Rebecca, held her close, pushed her away, rolled over and tried to move her with his butt. "Move over." He whimpered. He continued pushing her until she was at the edge of the bed.

"OKAY!" Rebecca screamed and got out of bed. "I'm awake. Stop being so dramatic and annoying!" she huffed and stalked off the bathroom to get ready.

Noah smirked and rolled out of the tiny bed. _'Sounds like something I would say to Berry._' His heart fluttered a bit at the thought of Rachel and having to call her. He shook his head, picked up a few more toys and went to the bathroom to check on Rebecca. She sometimes went back to sleep in tub. He peeked in to find her brushing her teeth, making faces at the mirror. He chuckled and went back into the kitchen where the warm pot of coffee was ready for him. He grabbed a mug and poured himself a cup of coffee. "What do you want for breakfast? Cereal or waffles?" He called down the hallway.

"Waffles!"

Noah went into the freeze and found the waffles. He popped them into the toaster and waited, sipping on his coffee. Noah didn't really know how to cook. In fact most of their meals came from boxes, whether they ordered out or not. He could make pastas or soups from cans, cook hamburger or steak on the grill, and even make a salad. However, with no job and only relying on yard work, eating out was becoming scarce and so was his bank account. He was mad at himself for letting him do this alone. His mother was right. He didn't need to do this alone. His eyes wandered to the small sheet of paper, the 10 digits screaming his name. He was staring so intensely at the paper that he jumped when the waffles popped out of the toaster.

"Daddy… you're not scared of the toaster are you? I don't even jump when my waffles come out." Rebecca stated, giggling at her father. She was already dressed in a pair of jeans and a long sleeve white shirt. She had pulled the braids out and had brushed her hair. "Do you know how to braid?" Rebecca asked, as Noah handed her the waffles.

"How to braid?" Noah blinked.

"Like hair. Can you?"

"I… don't know how. Sorry sweetie. Eat up, the bus will be here soon." Noah forced a smile and went to make Rebecca's lunch. _'This is where a mom would come in' _he thought bitterly, his eyes drifting to the paper. _'You don't want to ruin her life. Just make the damn sandwich!'_ He continued this mental battle with himself until he finished packing Rebecca's lunch. He grabbed her coat and shoved it on her arms, handing her oversized back pack and lunch. He walked her out to the bus and kissed her goodbye. "Have a good day."

"Daddy?"

"What?"

"We need a mommy." Rebecca looked sad. "And we need a mommy that needs us too." She was referring to Quinn, who not only abandoned Rebecca, but Noah as well.

"I know sweetie." He kissed her again and helped her onto the bus. He stood back as the doors closed and the yellow vehicle pulled away. He waved to Rebecca until it disappeared down the street. "I know." He whispered and headed back inside. He grabbed the little piece of paper and picked up the phone. His thumb hovering over the '7' key… he took a deep breath and pushed the button, and dialed her number.

**A/N: Sorry I know this is short, but I didn't want it to be toooooooooo long. I tried to give a little perspective on Noah's side. Happy reading!**


	6. The Best Feeling in the World

**A/N: Thanks again guys! The weekend is coming up which means lots of chapters! This means lots of reviews! *winkwink***

Disclaimer: I do not, do not own Glee.

Chapter Six: The Best Feeling in the World

"_What do you say to taking chances? What to you say to jumping off the edge?_"

Rachel rolled over and looked at her phone, the lyrics of "Taking Chances" floating out. Someone was calling her. She looked at the clock. 7:45 am. She bolted up out of bed.

"Ugh, I overslept." Yes, 7:45 is oversleeping for Rachel Berry. She rubbed her eyes and looked at the buzzing phone, an unfamiliar number flashed across the screen. She picked up her Blackberry and pressed 'talk'. "Hello?"

"Berry?"

"Noah?" She rubbed her eyes again and sat up a little. "Is something wrong?"

"Huh no, why would there be something wrong?"

"Well it's almost 8 in the morning. What are you doing up so early?"

"Shit…" There was a pause. He was checking the time. "I'm so sorry, Berry. I was getting Rebecca ready for school and I…"

"And you?"

"I guess I..." She could hear him muttering to himself.

"Noah?"

"Yeah sorry… it's nothing I guess I was anxious to call you."

"Really?" Rachel smiled to herself and swung her legs over the edge of the bed. She felt for her slippers with her bare feet and once she found them, she put them on and stood up. "Well, I don't mind anyways. My alarm didn't go off and I overslept." Rachel made her way into the kitchen to find it empty. In fact, Kurt wasn't even home. A pink post-it note clung to the fridge saying that Kurt had an emergency with an important client and that he'd be home around 3. Rachel sighed and threw the note in the trash can and opened the fridge.

"Overslept?" Noah snorted. "Honestly Berry, that doesn't surprise me."

"You never know. I might one day." Rachel smiled to herself. Who was she kidding? She knew she would never get the chance with Noah Puckerman but she desperately hoped with all her heart. "So when and where would you like to do lunch?" She grabbed the soymilk and a cup, pouring herself a glass.

"There's a new diner downtown I've wanted to try out. Wanna meet there around, 1:00?"

Rachel thought about where downtown was in relation to Kurt's house. Too far. "Well, that'd be great except Kurt won't be home till 3 and I don't have a car." She took a sip of her drink and perched herself on the stool.

"I could pick you up. Kurt's house is only 5 minutes from mine." Noah drummed his fingers on the counter, becoming more nervous about this 'date'.

"If that isn't too much of a hassle."

"Berry, it's only 5 minutes. I'll pick you up at 1:00 then?"

"Sounds great! I'll see you soon."

"Yeah, see you." Noah hung up the phone, his finger still drumming on the counter.

Rachel sighed and looked at her phone, the number still on her screen. With a series of button pushing she successfully saved the number under 'Noah Puckerman'. She smiled and finished the rest of her milk, rinsing the cup and putting it in the dishwasher. She went back into her room and undressed, grabbing a towel out of the small walk-in closet and went into the bathroom. If she was going on this 'date' then she would have to prepare. And Rachel Berry always looks stunning on a date.

At 12:55 Rachel was on the porch waiting for Noah to arrive. She had her hair dry naturally, allowing the chestnut locks to curl. She wore a pair of dark jeans and a bright yellow long sleeved shirt. She tugged at the North Face, adjusting her sleeves and looked up to see a black pick up truck pull into the driveway. Rachel nervously gulped as Noah got out of the vehicle and waited for her by the passenger door. She walked down the steps slowly, admiring his appearance. He looked like Puck, wearing baggy jeans and a black button up shirt, but his expression was all Noah.

"Hey. Thanks for picking me up." Rachel said quietly.

"It was no big deal Berry." He opened the passenger door and helped her inside. _'Why did she have to look so good? Hell… she looks good everyday!' _Noah shook his head and went around to the driver's side. Rachel buckled herself in and waited as Noah slid into the driver's seat and strapped himself in as well. He threw the truck into reverse and backed out of the driveway. "Where's Kurt?" he began cruising down the street, making a left at the stop sign, turning onto the main road.

"He had an important meeting with a client of his." Rachel pulled her hair over her shoulder. "He's usually gone most of the day. You know Kurt." She smiled and looked over at Noah. His eyes were on the road but flickered over to her, feeling her stare. He shifted in his seat. Rachel dropped her gaze and changed the topic. "What's this place called?"

"Little Gina's. Some little diner… I heard it was good." Noah turned off the main street, heading into downtown Lima. His hands gripped the steering wheel as the scent of her hair floated over to him. Sure the scent was subtle but had hit him like a ton of bricks. _'Roses… she still smells the same.'_ He smiled to himself and fiddled with the radio. Once he found a good station his hand dropped back to the steering wheel. They were silent. Christmas songs floated over the air waves and a soft humming was heard in the cabin. Noah looked over to Rachel, who was bobbing her head a little, humming the melody. "Really? It's a Christmas song."

"Doesn't mean I can't enjoy good music. And no, it doesn't make me a bad Jew."

"I wasn't gonna say that, but okay." He flipped his turn signal and pulled into the parking lot of Little Gina's. He pulled into a parking spot, unbuckled his seatbelt and got out of his truck. He walked over the passenger side and helped Rachel out. He had the urge to hold her hand but shoved his hands in his pocket.

"This place looks… lovely." Rachel said, unsure if the quality of food would reflect the outer appearance of the establishment. For being a newly opened restaurant the place looked run down. The sidewalks were cracked and the paint was peeling off the side. The once green roof was now faded vomit green and the windows looked tinged with dirt. She looked at Noah and raised an eyebrow.

"Don't judge a book by its cover." He said. He began to walk towards to the restaurant and held the door open for Rachel. She smiled, thanked him and walked inside. To Rachel's surprise, the diner had a cozy feel to it. It was set up like a 1950's diner, with a jukebox in the corner and red vinyl booths. Rachel shrugged off her coat and waited with Noah for a hostess to come greet them. A young girl, about 16, greeted them with her small hand placed on her stomach.

"Hiya! Two?" the young girl held up two fingers and then placed her hand on her stomach again. "Sorry." She said laughing. "He's kicking like crazy." She rubbed her belly and looked at Rachel. "Wanna feel?"

"Uh… sure." Rachel timidly placed her hand on the swollen stomach. She felt a small thump and broke into a smile. "I felt it! That's so amazing." She removed her hand and looked at Noah. A small smile could be seen and Rachel knew was he was thinking about. "Did you ever get to feel Rebecca kick?"

"Only once." Noah said. "It was the best feeling in the world." He started to follow the hostess, who led them to a small table in the corner. Rachel followed, not sure if she should continue the subject. She thanked the girl again and sat down across from Noah. The young girl handed them menus and walked off to greet the next customers. That same grin was on his face. "When I got to feel her kick… it really hit me. I was going to be a dad and there was really a baby in Quinn's stomach." He ran his hand across his head.

"I bet. I wonder how it feels for the mom." Rachel wondered out loud, placing her chin on her hand.

"Quinn said it felt like butterflies. You know, like when you like someone a lot and your stomach feels funny. Except it's lower."

Rachel nodded. She knew the feeling all too well as she placed a hand on her stomach and told herself to calm down. She was glad when the waitress came over to take their drink orders. Noah ordered coffee and Rachel iced tea. The waitress scribbled down the order and walked off, leaving Rachel and Noah to fill the silence.

"How are you doing, Noah?" Rachel asked, leaning forward.

"I'm fine, I guess. Just… being a single parent is a lot harder than I thought." He pulled out a sugar packet from the bowl sitting off to the side. "Money is always an issue and if I don't get any business," he stared out the window, hoping that it would snow, "it'll be a tough winter. Ah listen to me go on about my problems. Probably not something you want to hear." He shook the packet in his hands and looked at Rachel.

"No I want to listen, Noah." She placed a hand on his arm. "That's what friends do right?" Her hand felt warm and tingly, like an electric current was passing between them. She slowly removed her hand but was stopped. Her hand was now placed in between Noah's.

"Thanks. It really means a lot to me." He squeezed her hands and slowly let it go. Rachel wished he hadn't and left her hand on the table, just in case.

The waitress came back with their drinks and took their food order. Noah ordered a burger with fries and Rachel ordered a ham sandwich with chips. Once the waitress wrote their order, they were alone again, the silence oddly comforting. Rachel sipped on her drink, thinking of something to say.

"How hard was it getting into Broadway?" Noah stirred his coffee and took a sip. He watched Rachel's face fall a bit. "What?"

"How are you so interested in this? You hated it when I mentioned anything musical back in high school."

"I'm a changed man, Berry. Please?"

Rachel sighed and began her story. She started off slow to make sure that he was interested and sure enough he was. She told him how she got into Juilliard and how making friends there was just as hard at high school was. She told him about her first job as a waitress so she could pay her way through school. Her dads did help but because of the cost they could only cover so much. Just as she started telling about her auditions for Broadway, their food came. They began to eat in silence, which Noah broke telling her to continue. Between bites and sips she told him about her several auditions that got rejected for Broadway and how she got her first apartment. She told him the time her apartment got broken into and the time she threw her first house party. She had made him laugh and smile and to her that was the best feeling in the world.

Halfway through their meal, Noah's phone started going off. He looked at the number and answered. He shot Rachel an apologetic look. "Hello? Yes this is him." He sighed. "Is she okay? Oh man… sorry. Yes I can. I'm in downtown right now; I'll be there in 10 minutes. Yes, thank you." He hung up the phone and looked at Rachel.

"You have to go?" she picked at the bread on her sandwich. She didn't want to go just yet.

"Rebecca got sick at school. I have to pick her up."

"I understand." Rachel wondered how she was gonna get home. Noah answered that question as if he could read her mind.

"I can take you home, but I need to get there right away and take her home. Would you mind coming back to my house for a bit?" He signaled the waitress and asked for take-out boxes and the check. "We can finish lunch there?"

"That sounds… I hope I won't be in the way."

"No, don't worry about it."

The waitress came over and handed him the boxes and the check. Noah glanced at it and before Rachel could open her purse, he pulled out a twenty and told her to keep the change. Rachel muttered a 'thanks' and put her food in the to-go box and pulled on her jacket. She followed Noah out the door and headed to his truck. He helped her in and she buckled herself. She watched him get into the truck, fumbling with his keys.

"I'm sure she's okay."

"I know, but I'm a dad." Noah turned the engine on and buckled himself in before putting the truck in reverse.

"And you're a great one." Rachel reached over and placed her hand on his shoulder. Noah glanced over at her and without hesitation he took his hand off the steering wheel and grabbed hers, intertwining their fingers together. He let her pull their hands onto her lap.

"Thanks." He whispered and drove towards the school to pick up Rebecca.

"Anytime." Rachel replied, her thumb gently rubbing his. His hand was warm and her hand fit perfectly inside his. It was so perfect, so comforting, and so… natural. She tighten her grip slightly, afraid he might pulled away at any second. He never did.

'_Now this… this is the best feeling in the world.'_

**A/N: Yay! Sorry it took a couple of days. Rebecca is sick and who takes care of her? I guess you'll find out!!! Until next time, thanks for reading!!**


	7. On My Own

**A/N: Here's chapter 7! Hooray!**

Disclaimer: I do not own Glee, the song "Taking Chances" (I forgot to disclaim that last chapter), the song "On My Own". I do own the songs though, thank you iTunes!! (Which I don't own.)

Chapter Seven: On My Own

Rachel walked into the elementary school with Noah, her hand still in his. She thought about the other times they held hands back in high school but there weren't any. They had always linked arms. Their relationship was… casual. She glanced at their hands, her heart breaking slightly. His hand will soon leave hers and who knows when she'd get the chance to hold it again. She was scared that he only needed her for comfort and nothing more. Well, she was glad he turned to her for comfort, but Rachel wanted something much bigger. She missed him so much. Rachel remembered the nights in New York where she almost called Noah, confessing her deep feelings for him. The nights where she almost gave up everything just to be with him. The nights where she cried herself to sleep because she was so painfully alone.

This feeling might seem surprising to any other person. Why would she, Rachel Berry, after all these years have feelings for Noah Puckerman? Sure they had used each other back in high school when they dated to try to make Finn and Quinn jealous, but their plan didn't work. They wanted it too much. Ironically their respective crushes had let them down, Finn and Quinn devoting themselves to each other indefinitely. Rachel and Noah's efforts to make the star couple jealous had only brought them closer together.

Noah wasn't supposed to be the rebound for Rachel. He was supposed to be the one for her. After getting officially rejected by Finn, Rachel spent months in total despair. She sat quietly in glee practices, allowing Tina and Mercedes to take the female leads. This surprised everyone and they all knew something was up. Rachel Berry didn't just hand over her parts. Noah seemed to understand how she was feeling. He was dumped time and again by Quinn, not even allowed in his baby's life. He had comforted Rachel and she in return did the same. They became each others rocks, a shoulder to cry on, and a person to call at 2 in the morning because it hurts too much.

Everyone thought they had gotten back together, but they didn't. They were too broken to even commit to another relationship. They were just friends who were trying to fix each other. Rachel was there for Noah when the news of who the father was came up and when Finn had busted Noah's jaw when he found out. She was there for him when Quinn wouldn't let him visit Rebecca when she was born and was there when Noah visited his baby girl for the first time. She was there for him when he tried to fight for some custody of his daughter and was there when Quinn verbally abused him day after day.

When she left for New York, she was scared that he wouldn't need her anymore… as if the years they spent together was enough for him to move on with his life. How wrong she was. Noah called her when he got into Ohio State. He called when Rebecca learned to talk and walk, even when she used the toilet for the first time. He called her when Rebecca was sick and Quinn couldn't take care of her, leaving Noah to do it himself. He called when the stresses of being a parent were overwhelming and when he won full custody of Rebecca. She remembered that night, he ranted on for 3 hours about Quinn abandoning their daughter the way she did. Quinn had showed up on the front steps of Noah's house, custody papers in one hand and Rebecca in the other.

Being close to Noah all these years had only cemented the feelings Rachel carried for him. She spent hours pouring over old high school pictures, finding one of just the two of them in glee practice. It was then she realized she loved him. Rachel Berry was in love with Noah Puckerman. The same Noah that threw slushies at her, the same Noah who had wanted to light himself on fire because of her, the same Noah that relentlessly teased her. Boys teased girl they liked, right? But despite all the bad, there were more good memories and all those better memories had proved to Rachel that Puck was just a façade for Noah and that she was hopelessly in love with him.

She was afraid of getting hurt again. Finn had broken her into a thousand pieces, the same pieces Noah had spent months putting back together. She couldn't be shattered again, especially by the person who helped put her back together. Rachel decided that she would rather have Noah as a friend then to push him away with her feelings. She didn't tell anyone, not even Kurt who was her best friend. She kept her emotional secret to herself in hopes that one day it would just disappear. Maybe what she needed _was_ to be rejected but she was too afraid to try. Not now at least.

Rachel snapped out of her trace and looked at Noah. He did need her and she wanted him to need her. But, she also wanted him to know that. She wanted to tell him that she loved him and that she would give up everything, including Broadway, just to be with him. _'God why I am so desperate?!.'_ She scolded herself.

"You okay? You look tense." Noah looked at her; they were now outside of the main office of the school.

Rachel nodded. "Just worried about Rebecca a little. You know that swine flu is going around and you can never be too careful."

Noah nodded and pushed open the door, dropping his hand from Rachel's. The warmth he felt from her hand lingered on his, the tingling sensation dying away. He wished he didn't have to let go, but he knew he'd never hear the end of it from Rebecca, who would tell his mom… and that he didn't want to deal with. His eyes scanned the room and found his daughter sitting on a chair, her short legs swinging slightly above the white tiled floor. A large red stain covered the front of her white shirt from the vomit and her face was red from crying. He wanted to console her but was motioned by the secretary to sign her out. He reluctantly went over to the counter and looked back over to Rebecca. Rachel had moved away from Noah's side and was now crouched in front of the sick child.

"Hey, Rebecca. Remember me?" Rachel asked softly.

"Yeah… you're Daddy's pretty friend… Rachel?" Rebecca looked on the floor. "I got sick." She pulled out her shirt and looked at the stain. "I… I ha-had Kool-Aid fo-for lu-lunch." Rebecca started to cry. "I didn't me-mean t-to."

"Honey, of course you didn't mean to." Rachel put her hand on Rebecca's small shoulder. "And I can get that stain out… you won't even know it was there."

"B-but what if you can't?"

"I have a friend who makes clothes. He can fix it up for you." Rachel didn't know how Kurt would react to a 6 year old's shirt covered in vomit, but it was making Rebecca feel better.

"Can he put a kitty cat on there?" Rebecca wiped her eyes. "I like kitty cats."

Rachel smiled. "Yes he can. Anything you want." Rachel grabbed Rebecca's bag and stood up. Noah finished signing the paper and made his way over to the girls. He crouched down in front of Rebecca.

"Hey Bug, how you feeling?" He put a hand to her forehead. The secretary was right… she had a fever. "You're a little warm."

"I got sick." Rebecca repeated, not crying this time. "Rachel said her friend can put on kitty on the stain."

"Did she?" He looked up at Rachel and smiled. "That's nice of her. Ready to go home?" Rebecca nodded and Noah stood up, picking her up and placing her on his hip. He looked around for her bag and noticed that Rachel was holding it. "I can take that."

Rachel shook her head. "I got it, don't worry."

Noah smiled and carried Rebecca back to the truck with Rachel following. The car ride home was gruesome, Rebecca telling the story in great detail as if proud that she threw up in the cafeteria. She started describing what her vomit looked like when Noah interrupted.

"Hey Bug, some of us are trying to keep our own lunch down."

"She gets that from you." Rachel said, looking a little green.

Noah just grinned and pulled into the driveway of his house. Rachel had never seen his house before and tried not judge the outside. He had said to never judge a book by its cover and Rachel finally figured out why he had said that. His house was a small, one story with off white vinyl siding and green shutters. The porch was small and dirty, years of rain and harsh weather had worn the color from the wood. The yard was neatly trimmed but the flower beds were overgrown with weeds. The house just looked worn and old, but Rachel figured that was all he could afford. She got out of the truck and grabbed Rebecca's bag, slinging it over her shoulder. She watched Noah take Rebecca out of her car seat and carry her up to the house. Rachel followed closely.

Rachel was surprised by the inside of the house. It was slightly nicer than his mom's but just as homey. The living room, which was on the left, was covered in pictures of Rebecca, a timeline of her 6 years. On the right was a small little room, with a desk and several bookcases. This must be Noah's office. Rachel noticed a picture on his desk that had 12 very familiar people in it. She saw herself, grinning standing next to Quinn. Rebecca was right; she was standing next to her mommy. Straight ahead was the kitchen, very large and open with a small table placed against the wall. From there, a hallway led down the rest of the house, 3 doors on each side. Noah went down the hall and turned into Rebecca bedroom. Rachel followed, placing the bag on the floor by the door. Noah placed Rebecca on the bed and went into her dresser to find a pair of pajamas. He tossed them to Rebecca and told her to get dressed and went to leave the room.

"Daddy… I need help though." Rebecca slid off the bed and pointed to her pants. She could never get those pair unbuttoned. Noah shifted uncomfortably. He didn't know at what age you should let your child get dressed by themselves… especially your daughter. Rachel noticed and intervened.

"I can help you Rebecca." She gently pushed Noah out of the room. "Make some chicken soup." She closed the door and turned around. She went over to Rebecca and helped unbutton her pants, sliding them off. "I always had a hard time with pants too."

"These things are just ridiculous." Rebecca yanked on her pajama bottoms and worked on her shirt. After slipping her pajama top on she hopped into bed. "Are you Daddy's girlfriend again?"

Rachel was startled. "No, why do you ask?" She picked up Rebecca's clothes and put them into her hamper. She also picked up a few toys and placed them in her toy box.

Rebecca shrugged. "Daddy just looks happy. He hasn't looked happy in a long time. And I mean a long time."

"Well, I'm sure it could be something else." Rachel sat on her bed. "While your dad is making you some soup, want me to read you a book or something?"

"Can you sing a song? One from one of your big shows?" Rebecca's eyes light up a bit. "Your favorite one!"

Rachel smiled and thought about her favorite Broadway song. She couldn't pick just one, but there was one song that kept popping into her head. "Alright it's called "On My Own" from _Les Miserables_."

Rebecca settled into her bed and watched Rachel. Rachel sat up a little straighter and began:

"On my own pretending he's beside me.

All alone, I walk with him 'til morning.

Without him, I feel his arms around me

And when I lose my way, I close my eyes

And he has found me."

Rachel shifted on the bed, tucking a leg underneath her. She kept her voice quiet and calm, trying not to give it away that she was singing about Noah.

"In the rain, the pavement shines like silver.

All the lights are misty in the river.

In the darkness, the trees are full of starlight

And all I see is him and me forever and forever."

Even though this next verse called for some powerful vocals, Rachel kept quiet watching Rebecca drifting off to sleep.

"And I know it's only in my mind

That I'm talking to myself and not to him

And although I know that he is blind

Still I say there's a way for us."

Rebecca had fallen asleep by this point, but Rachel couldn't stop singing. She needed to sing this song as if he was there listening to her and knowing how she felt. Little did she know, Noah had stopped outside Rebecca's room with a tray of soup and crackers. He had heard Rachel's voice and didn't want to interrupt. Oh, how he missed hearing her sing.

"I love him, but when the night is over

He is gone. The river's just a river

Without him, the world around me changes

The trees are bare and everywhere

The streets are full of strangers."

Rachel kept her voice down, trying not to wake up Rebecca. She wanted to stop, but she kept singing… her heart aching.

"I love him, but everyday I'm learning

All my life I've only been pretending.

Without me his world will go on turning

A world that's full of happiness that I have never known."

Rachel paused slightly and looked at Rebecca.

"I love him." She got off the bed slowly so she wouldn't wake the sleeping girl.

"I love him." She reached over and placed a small kiss on Rebecca's warm forehead.

"I love him." She pulled the covers up and tucked Rebecca in.

"But only on my own." Rachel held back a sob and backed slowly out of the room and opened the door. She had poured her heart into that song, her body vibrating with emotions. If only she could sing that to him. She turned around and nearly ran into Noah. "Noah!" Her heart thumped wildly in her chest. Did he hear her sing? How much? Oh God…

"Sorry, I was bringing the soup." Noah gestured to the tray.

"Rebecca's asleep. She can eat when she wakes up." Rachel closed the door softly behind her. "Did… you hear me sing?"

Noah nodded. "Beautiful. I really… miss listening to you sing."

A small blush crept up on Rachel's face. "Th-thanks." They stood there in silence for a few moments. "Want to finish lunch?"

Noah nodded again and followed Rachel down the hallway and into the kitchen. Noah placed the tray on the counter and got their take out boxes and set them on the small table in the kitchen. Rachel sat down and opened her box, reassembling her sandwich.

"What would you like to drink?" Noah asked, grabbing a beer from the fridge.

"Water?" Rachel noticed the green bottle in his hand. "You drink?"

"No, I inhale." Noah teased. He looked at the bottle in his hand and at her. "I'm not a drunk or anything. A man can have one beer with lunch."

Rachel held up her hands. "I didn't say you were a drunk."

Noah sighed a bit and filled a glass of water for her, sitting across from her at the table. He opened his box and began to eat his soggy, cold fries. "So, what song was that?"

"Huh?" Rachel looked up from her food.

"The song you sang."

"Oh." She took a sip of water. "It's from _Les Miserables_… "On My Own". That was the song I auditioned with for Glee."

Noah nodded, taking a bite from his burger. "I liked it. The way you controlled your voice like that."

"It's a talent of mine. It comes in handy sometimes." Rachel blushed as she said that, hoping his head wasn't in the gutter. It was. She saw him grinning, that Puckish grin of his.

"I'm sure it does."

"Noah!"

"You said it." He pointed at her. "You set yourself up for that one." He laughed and took another bite of his food.

"Yeah, I guess I did." Rachel sighed and finished her sandwich. She got up and threw her trash away. "So are you going to your mom's tonight?"

"I guess I didn't think about that. I don't know… with Bug being sick I don't want her to move around so much. And I can't let my mom get sick because she has to work." Noah sighed, finishing his food as well. "I'll call her and let her know… we'll just have to spend Chanukah here. You're more than welcome to go to my mom's if you want."

Rachel shook her head. "I'd rather stay if that's okay with you?"

Noah smiled. "I'd really like that." He picked up his phone and dialed his mom's number. While he was on the phone, Rachel began to rummage through the cabinets trying to find out what kind of food they had. Canned foods, boxed dinners, no fresh fruits or vegetables and frozen TV dinners. Not acceptable for Chanukah. She turned to Noah, who had just gotten off the phone with his mom. "Well, she's not happy about it but understands. She said she was gonna bring some food over."

"I can see why." Rachel motioned to the cabinets.

"Well, we don't have a lot of money, Berry. At least we have food." Noah frowned slightly.

"I'm sorry." Rachel felt bad. She didn't want to hurt his feelings. "I'm just not use to these types of foods."

"It's okay. We get by just fine."

"So… does your mom help you out a lot? I mean, with business being so slow?"

"Yes she does and I can't thank her enough for it." Noah sat back down at the table.

Rachel sat down as well, scooting her chair closer to him. "I'm impressed."

"Why? I don't have money and my child eat TV dinners everyday. I'm a horrible father."

"No!" Rachel took his hand, squeezing it gently. The same tingling feeling appeared causing her to tighten her grip. "You're a wonderful father! And I'm impressed that you accept help from your mom. A lot of people wouldn't do that."

"I'm just trying to get by… and any help helps. I won't let my little girl down. I can't." He squeezed her hand. "Thanks for taking care of her by the way."

"It was no problem at all." Rachel smiled, hoping to restore some faith in him.

"You're going to make a great mother some day." He squeezed her hand.

Rachel blushed and muttered a 'thanks'. Suddenly an idea sprang into her head. "Noah? May I borrow your truck?"

"Excuse me?" Noah laughed. "Do you even have a license?"

"Yes thank you." Rachel let go of Noah's hand and reached into her purse, pulling out her wallet. She took out her New York driver's license and handed it to him. "And yes, I can drive. Please, I'll only be gone for about hour."

"I dunno Berry…" Noah handed back her license.

"Do you trust me?" She stood up and put her hand out.

Noah just stared at her. He found himself digging in his pocket, pulling out his car keys. He placed them in her outstretched hand. "Yes, yes I do."

Rachel smiled. "I won't wreck your truck either. And do me a favor?"

"What?"

"Take a nap… you look tired. Rebecca is asleep and I'm sure you can sneak in a nap. Please? At least try." Rachel picked up her purse and slung it over her shoulder.

"I'll try, sure." Noah said. "Where are you going anyways?"

"Out. I'll be back." She hesitated but placed a kiss on Noah's forehead. Her lips burned when they touched his skin and the kiss lasted longer than she planned. Finally she pulled back and looked at Noah. "Sleep."

Noah watched Rachel walk out of his house with his keys to his truck. Was he going crazy? Maybe he did really need that nap. He got up from the table and walked down to his room, shutting the door behind him. He kicked off his shoes and fell onto his bed, feeling more tired than he thought he was. His hand went to his forehead, the spot that Rachel had kissed. It still burned from where her lips met his skin and he wondered what it would feel like kissing her on the mouth. He shook his head to try to clear his thoughts of Rachel and went to sleep.

In his dream, he wondered what it would feel like to kiss her on the mouth.

**A/N: Whew, I wrote this in one sitting! Thanks again for reading guys; it means a lot to me!! Wanna know where Rachel went or what will happen tonight? Find out next time! Until then… REVIEW!**


	8. You Belong Here

**A/N: Hey thanks Fanfiction for being down… sorry I couldn't get this chapter up sooner… and no reviews? How depressing. Let me know how you like the story so far! **

Disclaimer: See previous chapters.

Chapter Eight: You Belong Here

"Rachel." His voice was barely above a whisper. Noah managed to open his eyes and peer down the bed as her head appeared from under the covers. "Don't stop." He shifted so that he was lying comfortably flat.

Rachel smiled lustfully at him and kissed him gently below his belly button and pulled the covers over her head, disappearing once again. This drove Noah crazy because he couldn't see what she was doing and that it heightened his senses. He felt that weird, amazing feeling in the lower part of his belly as she slid down his lower half. He could feel her hot breath on his member and he curled his toes in anticipation. After what seemed like hours, her mouth finally made contact making Noah gasp. His hand snaked under the covers and he ran his fingers through her hair. Her movements quicken and he felt close to his climax. Damn, who knew Rachel Berry was good at giving head?

"Daddy." Rachel said, her head appearing, using her hand to finish him off.

"That's right, who's your daddy?" Noah muttered, craning his neck and locking his eyes with hers. Did he have to use that cheesy line?

"You are silly. Wake up." Rachel said as a puzzled look crossed her face.

"What?" Noah was confused. He blinked and Rachel was gone. Her hand was replaced with his and her hair that he was clutching turned into the sheets.

"Daddy." Noah sat up and looked around the room, removing his hands from both the sheets and himself. His eyes roamed over the door, which was open and standing there was Rebecca. "Daddy I got sick again." Tears welled up in her eyes and began to fall down her red cheeks.

"Hey, it's okay." Noah swung his legs over the side of the bed and stood up. Luckily his jeans hide his erection and his pulled a hoodie on to further cover himself. "Where'd you get sick at?"

"On the fl-floor." Rebecca hiccupped. "And on my shirt." She looked down at the oozing stain on her pajama shirt and began to cry.

"Bug, it's okay. We'll get you cleaned up." He took Rebecca's hand and went into the bathroom. He got a washcloth from the cabinet, wet it and started cleaning the mess on Rebecca's shirt. Once he got most of it off he took her into her room to get her a new shirt. As they walked in, he noticed the large puddle of vomit on the hardwood floor. Noah stepped carefully around it and pulled out a new shirt for her to wear. He gently tugged the dirty shirt off Rebecca and helped her put the clean one on. As he threw the shirt in the hamper he heard the front door open.

"Noah?"

"Be right back, stay on the bed." Noah instructed his daughter. He walked out into the hallway and into the kitchen where the sound of rustling bags could be heard. He peered in and saw Rachel setting down several shopping bags on the counter. "What's all this?"

"Oh hey!" Rachel turned around, her cheeks red from the cold. "What are you doing up? Did you take a nap?"

"I did, but Rebecca got sick again. I was cleaning her up."

"Oh no!" Rachel's face fell. "Where'd she get sick?"

"The floor of her room." Noah walked over to the bags and looked inside one of them. A head of lettuce, apples, carrots and celery were neatly placed in the plastic bag. "What's this?"

Rachel walked over and looked in. "Lettuce, carrots, apples and celery." She said bluntly. She went to the sink and looked underneath, finding a bottle of cleaner. She grabbed some paper towels and headed down the hallway. "Oh, can you finish unloading the truck? I'll clean up Rebecca's room." And before Noah could respond, she had disappeared into the last room on the right. Noah sighed and went the front door to put his shoes on. He went outside and looked into the bed of his truck.

"God damn." He cursed. "She bought out the whole damn place." Noah pulled the tailgate down and grabbed several bags in each hand. It took him 5 trips to bring all the bags in and when he brought the last load in Rachel emerged from Rebecca's room. "Berry, what is all this?"

"Groceries, what does it look like? Oh and her room is all cleaned up and Rebecca is back in bed. She's a little bit hungry though… could you heat up the soup?" Rachel took on of the bags and began to put the items away into the cabinets, the pantry and the fridge.

"I know they are groceries, but what is this about?" Noah took the bowl of soup and placed it in the microwave. He set the timer and hit 'start'. "Why did you go buy all this? I can't afford to pay you back Berry."

"I'm not asking you too. I'm just helping out a friend." She placed the fresh gallon of milk in the fridge and turned to him smiling. "Please don't get offended. When you told me you got help from your mom… well, I couldn't help it. Plus I was gonna blow all this money on shoes anyways." She grabbed the loaf of bread and placed it on the counter and began rummaging through the other bags.

"I… I'm not offended. This is... thanks. It means a lot." He helped her unload some of the bags and when the microwave went off; he took the bowl and set in on the tray waiting for it to cool down.

"Wow… I'm impressed. I thought you were going to get mad." Rachel said, unpacking the last bag.

"Well, just so you know we're not a charity case." Noah tested the bowl. "I don't want to seem helpless. Especially in front of you."

"Noah, you're not helpless. I'm impressed because you know when you need help and that you don't want to depend on other people." She went over to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. His strong, broad shoulder and it made Rachel shiver. "You're not at all like the Puck I knew 5 years ago."

"I told you… I'm a changed man." Noah grinned, sliding away from Rachel and tested the bowl again, deciding it was cool enough to give to Rebecca. He took the tray to Rebecca's room and set it on her nightstand. "Hey Bug, how are you feeling? I brought you some soup."

Rebecca peered at the soup, the yellowish liquid making her stomach turn. "I dunno if I'm hungry anymore."

"That's okay; you can eat it when you are." Noah sat on the edge of Rebecca's bed and felt her forehead. "Mmm, you're still pretty warm kiddo."

"I have a solution to that." Rachel said, appearing in the doorway. She held in her hand a bottle of children's flu medicine, grape flavored. "I picked this up while I was out. This used to be my favorite flavor as a kid and with all the grape popsicles in the fridge; I figured you'd like it too." Rachel walked over and handed Noah the bottle.

"I do love grape!" Rebecca's eyes lit up. "How'd you know?!"

Rachel really want to say that a mother always knows, but figured it wasn't appropriate and didn't want to give Rebecca the wrong message. "Your daddy told me."

Noah looked at Rachel, then to Rebecca. He hadn't told her that grape was Rebecca's favorite and the more those two spent time together, the more alike they seemed. He smiled and poured a dose in the plastic cup that came with the medicine and handed it to Rebecca. She willingly took it and gulped it down, chasing it with a glass of water. Rebecca settled back into bed and asked Noah to read her a story. Noah nodded and went to the bookshelf and pulled out her favorite book. Rachel decided to go get a snack and picked the classic PB&J with a side of pretzel sticks. Just as she finished making the sandwiches, Noah came into the kitchen.

"She fell asleep… poor thing, she's really sick." Noah looked at the food sitting on the two plates, placed on the table. "Lunch?"

"We already ate lunch. This is more like an afternoon snack." Rachel smiled. "What would you like to drink?"

"What do we have?" Noah teased, looking into the fridge. There use to only be water, milk or beer in the fridge but now, thanks to Rachel, it also had 3 different types of juices and ice tea. Noah reached in and grabbed the ice tea pitcher, filling himself a glass.

"Can you pour me one?" Rachel asked, sitting down at the table. Noah nodded and did just that. He put the pitcher back into the fridge and sat down across from Rachel, handing her the glass. They ate in silence for a while until it started raining.

"Damn, its cold enough… it should be snowing." Noah growled, glaring at the window. Rachel didn't want to see him upset and decided to change the topic.

"Have you ever snowboarded?"

"What?" Noah turned and looked at her. "What does that have to do…"

"It doesn't. Have you ever snowboarded?" she repeated, taking a bite of her sandwich.

"Yeah plenty of times. Why?"

"Just curious. What's your favorite book?"

Noah looked puzzled. "What's with the questions, Berry?"

"I just want to get to know Noah better. It's been a while since we actually spent any time together. I mean, before I came here." Rachel nibbled on the end of a pretzel stick. She looked at Noah, her eyes almost pleading with him.

He sighed, but answered her question. "I don't have one, but I like to read. Your favorite TV show?" If she was going to play this game, then he would too.

"House. Favorite color?"

"Red. Favorite flower?"

"Daffodils. Favorite movie?"

This game continued for nearly a half hour, both of them shooting questions at each other. Their answers were getting a little longer and more complex as well as the questions. After Noah told Rachel about his most embarrassing moment with a girl, which Rachel laughed so hard she cried… he asked her something that was burning in his mind.

"Who was your first?"

Rachel choked on her drink. "My what?"

Noah tried to act casual. "Who was your first?" he repeated.

"My first what?"

"The first guy that got to clip your toe nails, Berry." Noah teased. "Who was the first person you slept with?"

Rachel's face grew hot and she wished the ground would swallow her up. She hoped that she would never have to tell him this… it was too… embarrassing.

"Come on… it can't be that bad."

"You promise not to laugh?"

"I mean, if it was Artie or Jacob I can't any promises." Noah chuckled.

"Well it wasn't any of them."

"Then… who?"

"No one…" Rachel picked at the crust of her bread. "I'm still… still a… virgin." She whispered. She couldn't look up… she didn't want to see his reaction. After what seemed like eternity she finally did. She expected that Puckish grin or a shocked look, but she didn't expect the look of admiration. "What?"

"I have a new respect for you Berry."

"It's no big deal… I'm just waiting for that right person. He doesn't have to be the one, but I don't want it to be someone that all they want is sex." Rachel looked out the window, her cheeks burning. Of all things they could be talking about it was Rachel's non-existent sex life.

"I respect that. I wish I would have waited."

"Who was your first?" Rachel asked. She had the right to ask, since he did.

"Santana. God, was she bad." Noah laughed. "I hope your first time is really something special… it should be."

Rachel blushed again and stood up, desperately wanting to talk about something else. "What should we make for dinner?"

"What do we have?" Noah teased again, getting up as well. Together they cleaned up their afternoon snack and planned out dinner for their second night of Chanukah together.

Several hours later, after watching a marathon of Bones, Rachel and Noah were in the kitchen starting to make dinner. Night was falling and they wanted to prepare the food before lighting the Menorah. Noah had called his mother, telling her she didn't need to bring food because Rachel had generously bought them a month's worth. After listening to his mother go on about how wonderful Rachel was, Noah had to get off because Rachel was distracting him. She would throw bits of flour at him from time to time, laughing and cooking. When Noah got off the phone, he decided to give her a little pay back.

He dipped his hand into the bowl of beaten eggs and flicked the slimy substance at her. She laughed and flung some back, landing some in his eye. She tried to apologize when Noah had flung flour at her, clumping with the egg yolks. They continued with this battle of eggs and flour, laughing and joking and almost falling from the gooey mess that now covered the floor. They had stopped when Rachel reached up and wiped the egg off his face. The movement was slow and graceful, her hand pausing on his jaw, her thumb stroking his cheek.

Noah's hand reached for hers and pulled it away from his face, and held it tight against his chest. He had placed her hand over his heart, which was beating frantically. With his free hand, he reached over and brushed her gooey hair off her forehead, his fingers trailing from the corner of her eye down to her jaw. He could feel himself leaning forward, unable to stop and thought that Rachel was leaning in as well. Their lips were inches apart when a voice interrupted them.

"What is going on?" Rebecca stood on the doorway, her hands on her hips. "Honestly, I can't leave you guys alone for 2 minutes." She cried dramatically.

Rachel pulled away from Noah, tucking her hair behind her ears, laughing. "Sorry, we'll clean it up."

"How you feeling Bug" Noah asked, dusting his hands off. _'Were we really that close to each other?' _He could still feel Rachel's breath on his face and his thoughts went to the dream he had earlier today. He felt his face grow red and tried to push the image of Rachel's head disappearing under the cover from his mind.

"Better." Rebecca went further into the kitchen and surveyed the damage. "You guys are worse than Billy Mason. He gets glue _everywhere_ and Mrs. Jackson _always_ has to clean him up."

"Well, you don't have to worry about cleaning us up." Rachel said. "You know, I think Scooby-Doo is on TV… why don't you check? Your dad and I will finish in here."

"I love Scooby-Doo!" Rebecca smiled and skipped into the living room. Seconds later, Shaggy's voice floated into the kitchen. At least she'll be preoccupied.

"Sorry about the mess." Rachel gestured to the kitchen.

"Nah, don't worry about it." Noah went to the sink and turned on the water, washing his hands.

"I'm gonna go clean up." Rachel exited the kitchen and went into the bathroom. She flipped out her phone and speed dialed Kurt.

"Girl, where are you?"

"Hi to you too." Rachel looked in the mirror, trying to figure out how she was gonna clean her hair. Luckily, only a little bit of egg got on her clothes and the flour was easier to clean up. "I'm a Noah's."

"Oh. Doing?"

"We're making dinner… but listen Kurt… I think we almost kissed!"

"Think? Almost? Kissed?" Kurt sounded shocked. "You know what this means?!"

"No." Rachel said slowly. "What?"

"Girl, he likes you."

"What? I don't think that's accurate." Rachel blushed. Maybe Kurt was right.

"Well, who lead this 'almost' kiss?"

"Umm… he did."

"He likes you."

"Kurt, you don't know that. And what if he doesn't… I don't want to get hurt again."

"Maybe you will Rach… but you won't know if you don't even try."

Rachel sighed. "Maybe… I don't know. But I have to go… can you come by around 10?"

"Can do my dear and I…"

"...want to know all the details, I know." Rachel smiled.

"Love you."

"Love you." Rachel responded, hanging up her phone. She cleaned her hair the best she could, wetting it and then toweling it. When she looked and felt presentable she went back into the kitchen to find that Noah had already changed and was cleaning up. She went over to help him, wiping off the counters and the cabinets.

"I got this, why don't you finish cooking?" Noah said, sweeping up the last remains of the doughy mess.

"Okay." Rachel went back to the stove and finished the food. She took out plates and portioned the food equally between the plates, giving Rebecca less because she was sick. Once the food was done and the kitchen was cleaned, Rachel and Noah went into the living room to light the second candle. Noah grabbed the remote and turned the TV off.

"Daddy." Rebecca began to cry.

"Bug, you can watch once we are done. Want to light the candle?"

Rebecca jumped up off the couch and went over to Noah. He picked her up and after they said their prayers he helped Rebecca light the second candle. **(A/N: Once again, I do not know much about Chanukah. I do not mean to offend.) **The three then went into the kitchen/dining room to have their meal. Rebecca didn't eat much but she led the conversation. She talked mostly to Rachel about school and her favorite games. She told Rachel the time she rode her bike on her own and the time she got 'cooties' from Zachary Kipper. Noah watched the two girls interact and liked how natural it felt. It was like; Rachel _belonged_ here with him and Rebecca. It felt natural for him to let her drive his truck and he was surprised himself on how he reacted to Rachel's generous gift. And when he almost kissed her… that felt natural too.

Before he knew it, he was sitting on the couch watching Scooby-Doo with Rebecca, her head on his lap. Rachel sat on the other side of him and they quietly held a conversation, so they wouldn't disturb Rebecca. And all too soon, headlights shone in the living room as Kurt's vehicle pulled into the driveway. Rachel reluctantly got up and found her shoes.

"There's my ride." She said sadly, grabbing her jacket.

Noah nodded and looked down at Rebecca. "She's asleep?"

"Yeah she is… poor thing. Here." Rachel scooped up Rebecca in her arms. The girl stayed asleep and Rachel carried her into her bed. Noah followed, telling her that she didn't have to do that. "Well you would have woken her up. Don't worry." Rachel said, tucking Rebecca in. "Make sure she gets lots of fluids and more of that medicine."

"I know Berry; this isn't the first time she has gotten sick. But thanks." He walked her to the front door and out onto the porch. "For groceries. For everything."

"Noah, consider it 10 years worth of holiday cookies." Rachel teased, smiling. She reached for him and found herself wrapped in his arms. She held onto him tightly, inhaling deeply trying to memorize his scent. It was woody and natural. He smelt safe and warm and it enveloped Rachel, not wanting to let go. His chin rested on the top of her head and she felt it disappear, only to be replaced by something else. He placed a soft kiss on the top of her head.

"We're even then." He chuckled. "I'll see you tomorrow?"

Rachel looked up and nodded numbly. Noah chuckled again and released her too soon. She hitched her purse on her shoulder and turned to go down the stairs. "Good night Noah."

He nodded and smiled. "Night Berry."

Rachel sighed, wishing he would say her name. Maybe that meant something… maybe… when he says her first name that it will have some meaning behind it. Rachel shook her head. Silly, why would there be a secret meaning behind it? He would always call her Berry. They were friends, just really good friends. Rachel crawled into Kurt's oversized SUV and buckled in, expecting Kurt to blast her with questions. Kurt looked at her, a wicked grin crossing his face. Oh yes… this was going to be a long night.

Rachel, however, did not know how long it was going to be for Noah. It wasn't the fact that he had a sick daughter on his hands, but that she would invade his dreams all night long.

**A/N: I finally got back into Fanfiction… hope you like it. REVIEW! Please, it feeds the mind and fingers. I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Until next time!!**


	9. A Miracle That Lasted 8 Days

**A/N: Sorry this took FOREVER! Finals are coming up… you know. But I'll have all of break to post up new chapters! Oh thank you for all the reviews, it makes me a giddy and inspires me to continue writing. I know some of you are getting impatient and wanting to see some Puckleberry… maybe this is the chapter?!?! Well, read and find out!!!**

Disclaimer: See previous chapters. Also the references to TV shows and books in the last chapter I do not own either… only my own copies which I paid for. 

Chapter Nine: A Miracle That Lasted 8 Days

The next few nights seemed to last forever for Rachel and she didn't mind at all. The time she spent with Noah and Rebecca were precious to her as if they were the last days she would get with them. Who was she kidding… these are the only days. They would celebrate their holiday together and then Rachel would need a reason to come over to see Noah. Her Noah. She would then have to admit to him that she was in love with him and she wanted to keep seeing him. She wanted to stay, but she wanted a reason to. Sure, she would stay because of Noah, but she wanted him to want her to stay. Confusing? Well, at least your not Rachel's brain.

Rachel spent her days with Kurt and together they went shopping, eating out, working on new designs for Kurt's line, and watched endless hours of romance movies. They gave each other facials and did each other's nails and hair, like best friends would do. Then when night came around, Kurt would drive Rachel to Noah's mom's house to celebrate another night. Each night the Puckerman family and Rachel would light the Menorah, eat a festive meal and play dreidel for hours, laughing, joking and talking all night. Rachel had felt bad that she didn't get Rebecca any gifts, but Noah had told her that buying them food was more than enough. Besides, Rebecca was so engrossed in dreidel and eating chocolate coins that she didn't mind the small gifts her family gave her. Rachel was positive that she saw her name on one once in Noah's handwriting. They would then end the night when Kurt came to pick up Rachel at 11pm because as Rebecca put it, "It's no fun without you." Noah would always walk her out to the door and give her hug. Rachel looked forward to this every single night. This was the best feeling in the world… feeling safe and warm. They would pull away and look at each other, something burning in their eyes that the other couldn't see. And of course, once Rachel got into the car Kurt drilled her with questions, mostly dealing with her progress with Noah.

On the eighth and final night, Rachel stood on the porch ringing the bell of Mrs. Puckerman's home. She had told Rachel to call her by her first name, Danya. Rachel's heart began to sink a little. She had become so close to Noah and his family and the thought of never coming back to see them was heartbreaking. Of course Rachel was being dramatic… but she always prepared herself for the worst case scenario. The door opened and Rebecca stood there in a bright red dress and white stockings, her hair done in two long braids.

"Rachel! Finally, you're here!" Rebecca grabbed Rachel's hand and pulled her into the house. "I've been waiting all day!"

Rachel laughed and shrugged off her coat. "Sorry Bec, I spent all day with Kurt fixing your shirt."

"Oohh! With the kitty cat?" Rebecca hopped in place. "The pink one right?"

Rachel nodded. As Rebecca was bouncing around, Rachel noticed one of her braids coming undone. "Sweetie, your braid is falling out." Rachel reached out to the young girl to calm her down. She pulled Rebecca towards the couch and sat down, placing Rebecca between her legs. "I'll fix it." Rachel took the hair band out and gently removed the entire braid, combing Rebecca's hair with her fingers. She then separated the section into 3 parts and began to weaving them together. Once she was done, she pulled the hair band onto the end and patted Rebecca on the leg to get her to stand up. Rebecca did and looked at her newly done braid.

"Wow. You should teach Daddy… he can't braid. I always have to get Grandma or Aunt Arin to do it. Thanks!"

Just then, Noah emerged from the kitchen. He was wearing dark jeans that cuffed at the bottom and a light blue button up shirt. "Hey Berry."

"Hey." Rachel stood up from the couch and fixed her skirt. It was knee length and black, accompanied with dark tights. She wore a dark green blouse and she had straightened her hair. She pulled her hair over one shoulder, letting the scent of roses smack Noah in the face. He blinked a few times and shook his head to clear his thoughts. God, why did she always look so damn good? Luckily he was saved (if it was possible) by his mom, who came in the living to start the ceremony of the last lighting. Before they did, they said their tradition prayers and Danya picked up the center candle and handed it to Rachel.

"Would you like to light the last one?" Danya asked.

"You sure?" Rachel slowly took the candle. "I don't want to intrude… I…"

"Rachel, honey its okay. Go ahead." Danya said, reassuring Rachel. Rachel nodded and took the candle, touching the flame to the unlit wick of the final candle. She said a small prayer and placed the candle back in the center. She turned and smiled at Noah, who was smiling too. "Good, now time to eat!" Danya clapped her hands and ushered her daughter and granddaughter into the kitchen. The family sat down together and enjoyed their last feast. Rachel was quiet that evening, listening to Rebecca babble on about her day at school. It wasn't until Noah and Rachel were cleaning the dining room when Noah spoke to her.

"Are you okay? You seemed pretty quiet at dinner." Noah placed the clean cup in the cabinet. He reached for another, watching Rachel carefully scrub the same spot on the plate. "Berry?"

"Uh, what?" Rachel snapped her head up and looked at Noah. "Sorry, I'm just thinking."

"About?"

"Nothing." Rachel blushed and scrubbed harder at the plate.

"Berry, any harder and you'll rub a hole through that plate. What's up? You can tell me."

Rachel sighed and looked at him, placing the plate gently in the sink. "Noah I…" Rachel stopped. She couldn't say it. After days, weeks, months and years rehearsing it in her head, she still couldn't let those 3 words slip out. Rachel Berry was one that always spoke her mind and was always honest about how she felt. Her heart felt heavy… had she really lied to him all this years? No, she just never told him and never denied it, but why couldn't she say it. "I want to hear you sing. You got to hear me and now with Chanukah at an end, we'll be seeing less of each other."

Noah laughed and picked up another cup. "That's it? Berry, you're not leaving for another couple of weeks. There'll be time to hang out." Noah gave a small smile and felt like his heart was going to explode. Rachel was sad that they won't see much of each other in the next couple of weeks. This meant… maybe, it had to be! "I've been working on a song." He said, hesitantly. "It's a little rough, but I think you'll enjoy it." Noah wished he hadn't said anything now. The song he had been writing was for her and he wanted it to be perfect before she heard it. But now was a good time as any… he wanted to let her know how he felt. He couldn't keep beating around the bush like a kid. He needed to be a man. Why was this so hard for him?

The two finished cleaning the dishes in silence. Each one had a thousand thoughts running through their head. They knew what they wanted to say, but they were afraid of getting rejected. But they have both been hurt so much in the past by the one person they counted on the most and they were afraid of getting hurt again. Noah looked at Rachel and drank in her features afraid that they might disappear altogether. He watched her hair as it moved in the light, the chestnut streams turning a honey shade. God how he loved when her hair caught the light, the reddish honey color made him weak in the knees. That's how Quinn had caught his attention, but right now Rachel was all he could think about. Her hand motions were slow and graceful as she finished the last dish and dried her hands. She flipped her hair over one shoulder, the scent of roses drifting over to Noah, once again slapping him in the face. He blinked a few times and watched her lips move, but couldn't hear the words. He wanted to taste those lips, just to see if she tasted the same from high school.

"Noah?" a muffled voice floated to his ears.

"Huh?" Noah blinked a few times. "I'm sorry?"

"I was saying that I would really love to hear your song, even if it's not finished. It doesn't have to be perfect… I'll still think it's great." Rachel smiled timidly. She tucked her hair behind one ear and slipped her hands into her pockets.

"Oh, right. Really?" Noah raised an eyebrow.

Rachel nodded and bit her bottom lip. Noah's legs buckled slightly. Damn, why did she have to look so fucking adorable! He gazed into her eyes, melting at the sight of her. He was becoming soft… this woman was the reason. Why couldn't he get it together?! There were so many things he wanted to do… so many things that he wants to say. But he didn't want to scare her away. She was going to be staying a couple of more weeks and he didn't want to be the reason for her early departure. He scratched his head and looked to the doorway, where the sound of footsteps was heard.

"Daddy! Grandma brought out your guitar and she said to tell you to come play!" Rebecca danced in the doorway. She saw Rachel and smiled. "Daddy can play guitar and he is soooo good at it too! He can play all my favorite songs! Come on Daddy!" Rebecca danced forward and grabbed both Rachel and Noah's hands, pulling them into the living room. Rachel laughed, her hair falling into her face and as she flipped it behind her shoulders it brushed against Noah's cheek. He shivered slightly as the cool hair flew across his cheek and along his jaw bone. He allowed himself to be dragged into the living room by his daughter. He could hear Rachel laughing, and he couldn't help but laugh too. It wasn't until he was in the living room when he realized that he would have to play his song for Rachel. The song he wrote to her, about her… and it wasn't ready. His palms became clammy and his throat dry. He didn't know if he could sing the lyrics or play the notes without any flaws. He wanted it to be perfect and he didn't want to let Rachel down. Ever.

Rebecca ran over to the couch and grabbed the guitar from Danya and carefully brought it over to Noah. He sat down on the love seat and Rachel sat next to him, angling her body towards him. He wet his lips and placed the guitar on one knee and positioned his hands over the frets and the strings. He looked at Rachel and then back at the guitar and started strumming softly. **(A/N: I do not own this song; however it is by Mark Salling's band Jericho. The song is called "Pipe Dreams". I also apologize for any errors in the lyrics; I couldn't find them anywhere so I used the music video. Oh, and don't take the "Savior" part to literally.) **It had a slight country twang in it and this surprised Rachel… Noah didn't seem like the type of guy who would play country music. She pushed that thought aside and began to listen as he started to sing.

"There's a woman I've known

For all of my life

She's an anchor

When all of your waves pass me by."

Noah looked over to his mother and smiled at her. Rachel figured he was singing about his mother's support through everything that he has been through. She smiled, listening to his husky voice.

"And there's a bottle I drink

That makes me feel fun

And I'm watching

My life pass me by."

Noah facial features looked sad and he stared at the table as if he wanted to make that bottle appear. Rachel's heart ached… he did have a slight drinking problem before, she assumed. She placed a hand on Noah's shoulder, causing him to jump slightly but continued playing and singing. He turned slightly to look at her as he sang the next lines.

"So even if I don't

See these pipe dreams come true

I hope that you know

That I was thinking of you.

And as much as I wish

That I could do it alone

I can't, so that's why I'm coming home."

Rachel's breath got caught in her throat as he sang these lines. _'It was just a song.'_ She had to remind herself. _'It doesn't mean it's about me.'_ She dropped her hand from his shoulder and clasped both of hers together. She placed her elbows on her knees and leaned forward, not wanting to miss another word.

"There's a reason I stay

Though I know damn well

That a city of angels can feel like a hell.

There's a Savior I see

Somewhere in the sky

And I'll join him or at least try"

"So even if I don't

See these pipe dreams come true

I hope that you know

That I was thinking of you.

And as much as I wish

That I could do it alone

I can't, so that's why I'm coming home."

Noah nimbly picked at the strings, played the instrumental section of the song. He focused his eyes on the frets and seemed to be lost in the music. He took a deep breath and finished the song with the last chorus.

"So even if I don't

See these pipe dreams come true

I hope that you know

That I was thinking of you.

And as much as I wish

That I could do it alone

I can't, so that's why I'm coming home.

I can't, so that's why I'm coming home."

Noah strummed the last chord and looked up, his eyes first went to Rebecca, who was clapping happily exclaiming how that was her favorite song. Next to his mother and sister, who knew the true meaning of the song. Danya had tears in her eyes, but refused to let them fall. She grabbed a tissue and dabbed her eyes, giving Noah an encouraging smile. He dropped his gaze and looks at Rachel's legs, slowly working his way up. He couldn't look at her just yet but once his eyes met hers something sparked. It's as if she knew this song was for her and that he needed her. He couldn't be a dad by himself and he needed Rachel. She had fit so perfectly into his and Rebecca's lives that… well, it was meant to be. But something else in her eyes flickered slightly and Noah knew what that was. Broadway. Her dream and Noah couldn't take that away from her, but now she knew (or at least he hoped) how he feels.

Rachel could only stare at Noah, all coherent statements vanished and she tried not to cry. She managed to etch a smile on her face (genuine of course) but words had continued to fail her. His song was about her… or she assumed. Damn, she should make sure first but there was something about the way he sang it and looked at her. It had to be. This was reason enough for Rachel to be convinced that he needed her. Honestly, he wrote a song to her about it. She shifted slightly, her brain trying to think of something clever to say. But what if it wasn't? What if she misinterpreted it and it had nothing to do with her? She would just have to wait then for him to verbally tell her. She'll just wait and it didn't matter how long. She already waited 5 years… what's another 5 more? When he was ready then she was and she would drop everything for him.

Back home in her apartment, in a shoe box in her closet were several letters to various directors, agents and other important people telling them that she quit to move back home with the love of her life. She explained in great detail how she enjoyed the stage but her heart wanted something more than fame and money. She wanted love and wanted to be needed. She wanted to be protected and protect Noah. The only thing missing from her letters was the date and the names of the people she was going to send them too. Rachel _really_ wanted to send those letters. But she was going to wait… wait until Noah and Rebecca needed her. Rachel didn't, no she couldn't, just barge into their lives and expect to have a place. After several minutes of her silence she heard Noah laugh.

"Berry, finally speechless? I'm speechless!" He continued to laugh and then became serious. "What did you think?"

Rachel picked her words carefully. "The music was surprising. You don't seem like the country sounding type. Your vocals were really impressive and I hardly detecting any flaws."

'_Leave it to Rachel Berry to pick apart your performance.'_ Noah thought, sadden that message might of not reached her. Why did she have to be so analytical? He sighed and placed the guitar on the stand that Danya had set up. Why was it so hard for him to tell her? It was just three words.

The family sat in silence for a while until Rebecca jumped up off the couch and asked her daddy to play more songs. Noah smiled; glad to do something to keep his mind of the woman he is madly in love with. Noah blinked a few times… wait, love? As he tuned his guitar he felt a smile creep on his face. Yes, he did. Truly… he was in love with Rachel Berry.

After he played a few songs his mother interrupted and decided that it was appropriate to tell the story of 'The Miracle' on the last night. Noah put down his guitar and allowed Rebecca to sit on his lap. They sat in silence as Danya told the story of their people and how the oil that would light the lamp for only one night, lasted eight.

"Grandma… that doesn't make sense." Rebecca said sleepily. She had made her way to Rachel's lap, curled in the crook of her arm. "If it only was supposed to last one, how did it last eight?"

"Well, that's why it is called a miracle. It was unexpected but warmly welcomed. Why question something that helps you? That is the beauty of a miracle." Noah swore he saw his mother's eyes flicker between him and Rachel, but didn't read too much into it. As Danya finished the story, Rachel glanced at the clock.

"Oh, Kurt will be here soon." She looked down at Rebecca.

"I got her." Danya said and got off the couch before Noah could move or say anything. "Arin, can you go upstairs and fix up Rebecca's bed. No sense in going home and having to wake her. She can stay here tonight, Noah."

"You sure Mom?" Noah got up.

"Yes." Danya picked up Rebecca. "Rachel, is has been an absolute pleasure having you for the holiday. Please, stop by anytime!"

"No thank you!" Rachel got up. "Your generosity and hospitality have been most excellent. I cannot thank you enough."

"I'm sure you can." Danya said, winking and went upstairs to put Rebecca to bed. Rachel grabbed her coat and pulled it on, turning to see Noah doing the same. "Cold tonight, huh?"

"Sure is." Noah pulled on his boots and followed Rachel out the front door. Rachel checked her phone and realized that the clock in the living room was 15 minutes fast. She was gonna say something to Noah. She turned and noticed that he was looking up at the sky. "Wow, look at all the stars. Such a clear night." His tone was mixed with awe and sadness.

"Noah, if I could make it snow I would." Rachel said, placing her cold hands in her pockets. She too turned her gaze skyward. "Wow… it is beautiful." They stood like that for some time, allowing the stillness and the beauty wash over them. Their breaths came out like ghosts, white shapeless clouds that disappeared. After several minutes she felt Noah move closer, his arm millimeters from hers. The electric current that she feels when she was near him was nothing compared to this. She wanted to reach out to him, to hold him and kiss him, but didn't want to ruin their friendship. They both stood still, watching their breaths come out together in even puffs.

Noah couldn't take it anymore. He reached out and pulled Rachel into a hug and held onto her. He wanted her to feel his aching heart and wanted her know how conflicted he was. He placed his chin on top of her head and felt her head shift so that her ear was over his heart. It was beating frantically, the adrenaline of what he wanted to do flowing all over his body.

"Noah."

"Rachel."

He felt Rachel jerk back and he thought he did something wrong. Her eyes were soft though and it looked as if she was going to cry.

"What did you say?" she demanded.

"Rachel, that's your name." Noah was confused. Why was she upset that he used her first name.

"I know it's my name, but you always call me Berry." Noah felt her grip tighten on his jacket and the small gap between them closed. Rachel was now fully pressed against him and it took everything that Noah had not to get 'too excited'.

"I'm sorry. I didn't know it bothered you. I can call you Berry if you want me too."

"No." she said forcefully. "I want you to call me what you want to call me."

"Okay, Rachel." He said smiling. He absent-mindedly placed his hand on the side of her face, brushing her hair out of her eyes. His hand rested on the side of neck, his thumb stroking her jaw line. He had to be a man and if that dumb song didn't give her the message, maybe this would.

Rachel felt like she could fly. He had finally said her name and the sound of it was beautiful. If her theory was true, maybe this meant that he loved her. But, she couldn't jump to such rash conclusions. She couldn't ruin their friendship, but she _needed_ him to know and she was tired of running away from those words. Rachel Berry always spoke her mind and in this case, she wouldn't need words. When his hand went to her neck, her pulse quicken and she found herself pulling closer to Noah's face, his eyes, his nose… his mouth.

What happened next wasn't anything they expected. Sure they had kissed in high school when they 'dated', but what happened here wasn't like those kisses. When their lips touched, the electric current magnified, causing them to pull closer to each other. The kiss started out soft, timid, and shy where their lips had barely grazed each others. But once that current sparked, Rachel gasped, opening her mouth and pulling closer to Noah. Her hands snaked up his chest, his shoulders and around his neck pulling him down. She thought she was being too forward but felt Noah's hand roam over her back, down her sides and dangerously close to her butt… all the while pulling her even closer.

Noah had heard her gasp and felt her lips part, taking this opportunity to slide his tongue over her lips and teeth and gently ran it over her own tongue. Rachel groaned a bit and opened her mouth wider, allowing him access to her mouth. She fought back gently with her tongue, running it behind his teeth causing him to shiver. Noah bit down gently on her bottom lip and continued to explore her mouth with his. Rachel had tasted pretty good 7 years ago but right now she tasted amazing. Sweeter and more addicting and Noah didn't want to stop.

They both were so absorbed into the kiss they failed to notice the oversized vehicle park in the driveway. When the driver honked the horn the couple broke up and looked to the source. Kurt stepped out of the truck and smiled smugly at Rachel.

"I'm gonna get it." Rachel said her face still red from the kiss. She turned to Noah and blushed, glad her face was red. "Sorry I gotta go."

Noah silently cursed Kurt but smiled at Rachel. He only wanted a few more… hours, but maybe this kiss changed something between them. Maybe, Rachel knew what his song was about and maybe she knew how he felt. "It's okay. Um… thanks again for spending Chanukah with us."

"Of course. Thank you for allowing me to join you." Rachel adjusted her jacket. "I'll… uh, see you around." She stammered and turned to walk down the stairs.

"Rachel." Noah called out and when she turned, he came down the stairs and placed his lips against hers again. If the first one was a mistake, this would prove it. Noah closed his eyes tight, afraid of the possible rejection, but it didn't come. Instead he felt her mouth moving against his, her tongue wanting entrance. He gladly opened and ran his tongue against hers, trying to memorize the way she tasted. What made them stop wasn't Kurt's horn… but a single drop of water on Rachel's nose. She pulled away and wiped her nose. Noah sighed. "More rain?"

"No." Rachel looked at him excitedly. "Look!" She held out her arm and on her black sleeve were tiny specks of white fading away. "Noah… it's snowing!" Noah couldn't believe it… it was a… miracle. Noah grinned and captured her mouth once again.

"I guess you can make it snow." He said grinning, pulling back giving her that Puckish grin.

Rachel rolled her eyes. "I gotta go. Thanks for everything. I'll call you?"

Noah nodded. "I'd love that." He watched her climb into the cabin of Kurt's SUV, watched Kurt immediately drill her, waved to them as they left and just stood in the yard watching the snow come down. The snow began to stick to everything, the grass, the road, the cars and Noah smiled. A true miracle.

And that miracle was Rachel Berry.

**A/N: Sorry again… I was driving home for the holiday. I have all week off so; chapters should be up like crazy! Or I'll try! Lemme know what you think!!!**


	10. You Belong With Me

**A/N: I really want to get the good stuff… but I'm taking my time. I hope you enjoyed the story so far. I'm really excited about this chapter too because I've never written up to chapter 10 before. **

**Also, with each new Glee episode, I have to tweak my plot around a little. I mean Rachel and Kurt and Puck and Quinn and Finn and Rachel... AHHHHHHHHHHHH! Glee is so amazing! **

Disclaimer: You know.

Chapter Ten: You Belong With Me

Rachel woke up the next morning before her alarm went off. Blinding white light had snuck through the cracks of the blinds and filtered through the white lace curtains. Rachel sat up and rubbed her eyes and looked at the window. What was causing that bright light outside? What time was it? She glanced at the clock as she swung her legs out of bed and found her slippers. It was 8 o'clock. Rachel grumbled as she pulled on her robe and shuffled to the window. She had wanted to sleep in and be lazy all day. This wasn't like Rachel Berry, but something inside her made her feel this way. She had had the most wonderful dream. Noah and her shared a passionate kiss only to be interrupted by Kurt. Rachel was sad that she would never be able to taste him again, but he had called her name… yes, her first name and sauntered down those porch steps and kissed her again. Then she made it snow. Well, not really but their second kiss had caused the clear night to close up and let snow fall for the first time all season.

Rachel sighed and tucked her hair behind her ears, yanking open the curtain. What she saw outside reminded her that what happened last night was _not_ a dream. Kurt's yard was covered in a blanket of thick, fluffy snow. There was at least 6 inches on the ground and it was building up, seeing how the snow had no let up since last night. This wasn't your blizzard-I'm-going-to-stay-inside kinda snow… this was the let's-go-out-and-play-all-day snow. She grinned and touched her lips with her fingertips. She swore she could still feel the buzzing feeling that Noah had given her. She smiled and quickly tied her hair into a ponytail, heading into the kitchen.

Kurt was cooking breakfast, turkey bacon and egg whites in two separate frying pans and the toaster with 4 full slots. He poured himself some hot water, obviously a tea bag sitting in the bottom. He turned to put the electric kettle back on the counter and saw Rachel standing by the island. "Well, well… good morning my darling. How did you sleep last night?" Rachel smiled and brushed her bangs to the side. She moved over and grabbed a mug out of the cabinet and then the coffee pot, pouring herself a cup full.

"Amazing. Had this really good dream." She grinned and took a sip of her drink.

"Sweetie, I'm sure it was not a dream." He winked but didn't say anything. He had drilled her enough last night in the car. "So, my annual Christmas party is coming up soon and this year I'm going all out! I'm going out shopping today for decorations and you _are_ coming with me. Oh and you're invited… and Noah and his daughter." Kurt grinned, almost evilly and looked at Rachel as he took sip from his mug.

"Kurt… Noah and I are Jewish." Rachel shivered. She liked that way 'Noah and I' sounded. "We don't celebrate Christmas."

Kurt sighed. "Rachel, I'm not asking you to convert… it's just a party. Come on! Artie and Tine are coming, so is Mercedes, Mr. and Mrs. Schuester and my cousin Sarah is coming with her husband and 3 kids. One of them is around Rebecca's age… she's 6 right?" Rachel nodded. "Invite him… it'll be fun!" Kurt batted his eyelashes.

"Fine, I'll ask. But could we call it a holiday party or something? I don't want to make Noah or Rebecca feel uncomfortable."

"Sure." Kurt waved his hand.

"And, how are we going shopping? There's 6 inches of snow outside." Rachel nodded her head towards the window.

"Ah my dear, look outside again." Rachel eyed Kurt suspiciously and moved to the front door, opened it and stepped on the front porch. The roads were freshly plowed and the sidewalks were shoveled and iced. "Guess who was out since 4 am this morning?"

"Noah?" Rachel came back inside and closed the door. "Wow."

"Honey, this is the first snowfall all year. People started calling him that early." Kurt finished his hot tea and walked back into the kitchen, placing the empty cup in the dishwasher. "Well, we'll be leaving after breakfast." Kurt finished cooking the contents of the frying pans and distributed them equally between two plates. Rachel grabbed the toast out of the toaster and buttered the slices, placing two pieces on each plate.

They sat down at the island, eating their breakfast and discussed decoration and food ideas for the party. The party was a week away but Kurt wanted everything to be perfect. He had already sent out all the invites via email (to those he currently had) and had received RSVPs from all of them. They were going to have a full house and Kurt wanted to be prepared. After discussing desserts ideas, they cleaned up kitchen and went to their own rooms to shower and get dressed. Rachel closed her bedroom door and took off her bathroom, hanging it on the hook on the bedroom door. She checked her phone before taking off her pajamas. There was one text message… from Noah. Rachel picked up her phone and went to her inbox, opening the message: "School was cancelled today. I've been up since 4 but got most of the neighborhoods done. Taking Rebecca sledding after breakfast. Want to come?" It was sent 15 minutes ago. Rachel dialed Noah's number and waited impatiently for him to pick up the phone. It only rang once.

"Rachel?"

Rachel smiled, her heart beating wildly. "Noah, hey… I just got your text."

"Oh yeah. I've been real busy this morning." She could see him grinning, cheeks red from the cold but his eyes bright. "But school was cancelled and Rebecca was asking me to ask you to come sledding with us. So what do you say?"

"Hold on!" Rachel ran out of her room and flew down the hallway, knocking on Kurt's door. "Kurt?"

"Yes?" Kurt opened the door still in his robe. He noticed the phone and then Rachel's anxious expression. "You owe me." He grinned, winked and then closed the door mouthing 'have fun'. Rachel grinned and went back to her room.

"Rachel?" She had left him on the phone.

"Sorry, but yeah. Sure… I'd love to come."

"Great! We'll stop by in 10 minutes?"

"Yes!" Rachel said, a little too enthusiastically. She bade him a good bye and hung up the phone, quickly sliding out of her silk pajamas. She heard Kurt leave saying he'd be back in the afternoon and that he'd miss her. She responded to Kurt and after hearing the door slam she threw together an outfit suitable for the outdoors. After pulling on her hot pink rain boots, she heard the door bell ring and nearly fell over. She got up and placed her phone and wallet in her water-proof coat pockets and pulled the zipper shut on them. She half ran to the door and fixed her hair under her hat before yanking the door open.

"Hey." Noah stood in the doorway, his hands shoved in his pockets. Next to him stood Rebecca with a bright yellow sled attached to a string in her hand.

"Rachel! We're going sledding!" she exclaimed, as if Rachel was oblivious to their plans.

"I see that." Rachel beamed and closed the door behind her. "So where are we going?"

"To the high school… you know the big hill by the parking lot?"

"Oh my, I do. I was ambushed there once by a couple of guys back in the day." She laughed and kicked up some snow on the sidewalk as they made their way to their old school. She looked at Noah who had gone quiet. "Don't tell me… you were one of the guys?"

"Sorry." Noah rubbed the back of his neck and grinned at her.

Rachel huffed slightly, a smile spreading on her lips. She bent down quickly and scooped a handful of snow, packing it into a ball and threw it at Noah. It hit his shoulder, bits of snow flying in his face and Rebecca's hair. He laughed and repeated her actions, hitting her hat. Rachel laughed and felt another hit ball hit her shoulder. She looked at Noah, who pointed at Rebecca who was giggling. Rachel laughed, Rebecca's giggle highly contagious, and picked the young girl up in the air and plopped her on the sled. Rachel grabbed the string and began to pull. Noah followed behind, watching Rachel and Rebecca.

Within several minutes the three were in the high school parking lot. Rebecca scrambled off the sled and began to climb the looming hill. Rachel and Noah watched as the bright green dot moved up the slippery slope. Rebecca turned around when she reached the top and waved to the couple below. Rachel took the sled by the handle and began to start the same trek. She turned to see if Noah was following, but he stood on the ground.

"I'll catch you guys." Noah said, waving her to keep going. Rachel turned back and continued to climb, greeting Rebecca as she reached the top.

"Whew… what a climb. You ready?" Rachel set the sled down and sat towards the back. She patted the spot in front of her and Rebecca gladly plopped down. Rachel used her hands to push them forward and they teetered on the edge for a while before the sled's nose went down and they began descending down the hill. Rebecca was squealing and laughing the whole way and Rachel couldn't help but laugh too. Once they reached the bottom, Noah stood there waiting, helping Rebecca out and then Rachel. Rebecca sprinted back to the hill and started climbing again. Rachel adjusted her hat and grinned at Noah. "She's pretty active."

"Yeah, it's hard to keep up with her sometimes." Noah took his hair off and rubbed his head.

"Here." Rachel handed him the sled. "Go catch her." Noah grinned, grabbed the sled and took of to catch Rebecca. Once his daughter saw him chasing her, she screamed and climbed faster but ended up sliding on the snow and ice even more. Noah caught up with Rebecca and grabbed her around the middle, carrying her the rest of the way up. Rachel watched Noah and his daughter interact, throwing snow at each other before climbing onto the sled and scooting down the hill. The three of them stayed out for hours, each taking turns sledding down the hill. After the thrill of sledding wore off they built a snowman at the bottom of the hill, using sticks and stones for his eyes, nose and mouth.

It was after 2 when Noah decided to go back home to eat some lunch. With the snow still coming down, Noah was getting calls from neighbors asking to re-ice the sidewalks. He was going to call his mother to ask if she could watch Rebecca, but Rachel had stopped him saying that she could.

"I really don't mind. Kurt is out shopping all day."

"Really? Wait, shopping for what?" Noah had fixed Rebecca's hat and took her hand as they made their way back to Noah's house.

"His party next week… which reminds me, Kurt invited you and Rebecca."

"A party!" Rebecca started jumping up and down. "Oooo Daddy, can we please go? Will there be other kids?" Rebecca looked up at Rachel.

"Yes, Kurt's cousins will be there and one of the girls is 6 too. Kurt said he's setting up a room just for the kids. Everyone is going to be there. He would really like it if you came. I… I would… like it too." Rachel blushed and she brushed her fingers along his arm. He smiled at her but Rachel didn't know if he could feel her touch.

"I think we can make it. It'll be fun to see the whole gang again." He let go of Rebecca's hand as she raced forward and flung herself in their yard, making a snow angel.

"Great. I'll tell Kurt." Rachel took off her hat, fluffing out her brown locks, allowing the small flakes to collect in her hair. She walked over to Rebecca and helped her out of the snow and stood back to admire her work.

"You sure about watching her?" Noah called. He had collected his snow gear and waited at the end of his driveway. Rachel walked to him and took the keys that were sitting in his hand. She smiled and took another step closer to him.

"I don't mind." She reached out and brushed the snow off his shoulders, her hand gently resting on his right one. Noah leaned down, his nose brushing hers. She could feel his hot breath on her lips and she parted them, hoping to get another taste, but they were interrupted when Rebecca had stomped up the porch steps demanding lunch. Rachel smiled and brushed her hair out of her eyes, turning to follow Rebecca into the house. "I got it. Go to work." She grinned, followed Rebecca and tickled her as the pair headed inside.

Noah smiled and grabbed his gear, heading down to Mrs. Peters yard to de-ice her sidewalks. He was lucky… damn lucky he got Rachel, in the sense that he got to spend time with her. After everything that happened in high school between them and with their friends… he was lucky he got anyone. He had to admit… he was a huge jerk in high school. He was a kid in a candy shop with all those hot girls running around him. He was a boy who had needs and now, and now Noah was a man who had just one need. Rachel Berry. He had messed it up with Quinn and he didn't want to repeat the same mistake with Rachel.

Noah remembered that day Quinn had confronted him in the hallway. Noah was changing out his books for his next class when Quinn had bombarded him, taking his cell phone and checking his texts. She had caught him 'sexting' with Santana and a dozen other girls in the school. Shit. Noah tried to play it off like it was no big deal, but to Quinn it was a big deal. It was a big enough deal that it pushed her back into Finn's arms. The one girl that Noah had wanted and even she wasn't good enough for Puck. He had told her that he needed to get some and that she wasn't giving… dammit. Now that he (7 years later) thought about it he realized how stupid and childish it sounded. But it wasn't that comment that had wanted Noah to punch himself in the face. He had told Quinn that he wanted to be the father, but that he wasn't going to change his ways about it. He was going to be Puck and no one was going to stop him.

That changed when he had saw Rebecca for the first time in the hospital. Noah was walking around the hospital; Quinn wouldn't allow him in the room because she didn't want a punch out between him and Finn. She had promised he could see her when she came home, but Noah couldn't wait that long. He paced the corridor, asking his fellow Glee members how Quinn was and how the Rebecca was. When Kurt and Rachel exited the room, a nurse wheeling a large plastic crib left the room, with a small pink screaming bundle in the middle. Noah didn't remember what Rachel or Kurt had said… but he just watched the screaming baby… his screaming baby being carried off. It only took one look and Noah had fallen in love. It was that one look that convinced him to change from Puck… to Noah.

By the time he finished Mrs. Peters, Mr. Hornbeck and Ms. Wine's sidewalks it had stopped snowing and the calls were less frequent. He told the last callers that he would be by in the morning seeing how he'd been out all day. He checked his phone and realized it was past 5. He cursed to himself and went home, hoping Rachel wasn't too mad at him. Noah dumped his gear on the porch and stomped his feet to get the snow off. He went into the hallway and looked into the living room, where the sound of Scooby-Doo could be heard.

"Rebecca? Rachel?" He smiled. He liked the way her name sounded on his lips. He pulled off his snow clothes until he was stripped down to his driest clothes, his wife beater and his sweats. He peeked into the living room and saw two bodies curled on the couch together, sleeping. Noah walked in and turned off the TV and threw a blanket over the girls. He grabbed the empty plates and cups off the coffee table and went into the kitchen. Sitting on the counter was a peanut butter and jelly sandwich in a Ziploc bag and a bag of pretzels sitting on the plate. Noah placed the dirty dishes in the sink and looked at the note from Rachel saying, "Didn't know when you would get home, but we made you lunch anyway!"

Noah took the sandwich from the bag and wolfed it down at the counter. He threw the dish in the sink and opened the fridge, taking a gulp or two from milk carton.

"That's really gross you know."

Noah choked on the milk and looked over to the doorway. Rachel was standing there, stripped down to her black thermals and bright pinks socks. She ran her fingers through her hair and pulled it over her shoulder.

"Noah?"

Noah shook his head; apparently he was staring for too long. "Yeah, sorry."

She laughed and moved into the kitchen. "How was work?"

Noah gulped. "Cold. But good… it feels good to work."

Rachel nodded. "That's good. Rebecca and I played Barbies and doctor. Apparently my heart is broken." She smiled shyly. "We then had peanut butter and cheese puffs and then watch TV." She turned and looked at Noah. "It was fun… too bad you missed out."

Noah had moved over to Rachel and brushed her hair out of her eyes. "Thank you for watching her."

"It was no problem, really." She brushed his hair free of the melted snow and rested her hand on the side of his neck. "You're cold." She muttered, pulling closer to Noah.

"Snow… is pretty cold." Noah breathed, pulling Rachel closer to him. He leaned down, brushing his nose along hers then her cheek and jaw line. He felt Rachel shiver underneath him and couldn't tell if it was from the cold or his touch. His nose came back to hers and he pressed his forehead against hers. His arms snaked tighter around her waist and pulled her close to his body. Their bodies were as close as they've ever been her thermal and his wife beater the only fabric that was keeping their bare skins from touching. Her hands touched his chest, feeling the tight fabric that was stretched across his chest. He looked down at her, watching her brown eyes search his. "Rachel."

That was all he could say. Her mouth covered his, her hands wrapping around his neck. She smiled into the kiss and opened her mouth, feeling Noah slide his tongue inside. She pushed against his with hers, running her tongue over the roof of his mouth. He groaned and bit down on her bottom lip slightly. His hands went from her waist down to her thighs and back up to her waist. In their fit of kissing, they ended up by one of the kitchen counters; Rachel's back bumping into it slightly. Noah instinctively picked her up and placed her on the counter pressing close to her. She wrapped her legs around his waist and slid her hands down his back until they landed firmly on his butt, squeezing slightly.

Noah groaned even more, bucking his hips softly against her. It was too much for him to bear… he just wanted to pick her up and throw her into his room. He continued grinding into her until he was pushed back. He coughed slightly, his hands moving to the counter on either side of her. "I'm… sorry. I just got… caught up… and…."

Rachel placed a finger on his lips. "Noah… what are we doing?" She tilted her head, a smile tugging at the edges of her lips.

"Making out." Noah shrugged.

"No… I mean." Rachel leaned back on her hands. "I left for 5 years and then just suddenly reappear. I mean, we're friends and we dated a little."

"What are you asking?" Noah's heart raced.

"What are you feeling?"

"Feeling?"

"About me? About us?"

Noah blushed. There they were in the heat of the moment and she wanted to know how he felt. This is a good time as any and she did have a point. After not seeing each other for 5 years, what were they doing? Was it the lack of physical contact? Noah didn't know… but he did know something. He reached up and tucked some hair behind her ear. He squared himself and looked at her straight in the eye.

"Rachel…" He took a deep breath… it was now or never. "I love you."

**A/N: YES! Done done done! Sorry for the delay, you know how Turkey Day is! I love you all and I hope you enjoy. PS- I know… I'm evil :D **


	11. Imagine Us

**A/N: So it seems to be a little rushed right, not to worry because it is a Puckleberry we need lots of Puckleberry! But not to worry to those people that want suspense… it's coming!**

**BTW: This story has over 100 reviews!! OMG! Never has this happened to me. I want to thank all my readers and your support and wonderful reviews. You guys, yes you, are the ones keeping this story going. Well, I mean I want to write it but you guys really feed my fingers and mind. Thank you again!**

Disclaimer: You know, you know.

Chapter Eleven: Imagine Us

"_Rachel…" He took a deep breath… it was now or never. "I love you." _

Everything in Rachel's face told Noah that he should have kept his big mouth shut. Her eyes were wide and full of shock, her hands trembling and her body shaking. He mentally cursed at himself for potentially ruining his friendship with Rachel. He would have screwed this one up just as he had with every other girl he had met, dated and fucked. Noah looked down at the floor and then back up at her, wetting his lips.

"Rach… I'm sorry. I should have never said anything. I just…"

Once again, Noah couldn't finish his sentence. Rachel's legs were wrapped around his waist again; her body pressed firmly to his and her mouth was covering his. Noah was beyond shock… his eyes were wide and his hands still on the counter. After several seconds into the kiss he finally closed his eyes and placed his hands on her waist. One hand went to her face, cupping it and pulling her closer. He felt her pull back and felt her breath panting on his cheek.

"Rachel?" He pulled back to look at her. Her face was red and her eyes were full of tears. "I'm sorry."

"No." she wiped her eyes before the tears could fall. "Don't be… do you know how long I've waited to hear that from you. How long I've waited to finally say that Noah… I love you." She tugged gently at his shirt and then brought her hands and arms around his neck. She looked him in the eye and smiled. "I love you so much."

"What? Really?" Noah took his face in both his hands and kissed her fully on the lips again. "You mean that?"

"Of course!" She laughed and held him closer. Finally.

"Oh God Rachel… you have no idea. No idea how much this means to me." He pulled back and looked at her, moving her hair out of her face. "Why… I mean, Rachel you always say what's on your mind… why wait this long?"

"I could ask the same." Rachel wasn't quite ready to tell him why she waited. Maybe she could get it out of him first.

"Rachel…" Noah sighed and looked down at her feet. They were oddly beautiful, like the rest of her. He looked up at her and 'fessed up. "Rachel. You're living your dream of being a Broadway star. I can't take that away from you. Ever."

"Ever?" Rachel's heart flipped.

"No. I can't leave Lima. I have Rebecca and I don't have the money or the job to do it. But you…" He took her hands and kissed them. "You're making it big out there in the world. You're living your dream and I can't take that away from you."

Rachel smiled. She heard what she wanted to hear… but not everything. "Noah, that's… so romantic. So you never told me because you didn't want to ruin my dreams? Noah…"

"Don't." he kissed her. "I wanted to show you how I changed. I'm not Puck anymore and I want things for you just as much as I want them."

"Noah, I always thought you were a good man. You've already proven that to me when Rebecca was born."

Noah smiled and buried his face into her neck. He began to kiss the tender skin, gently biting and sucking. He heard her moan and he sucked harder. She scooted closer to him and gripped his shoulders, rolling her head to the side allowing more skin to be exposed. Noah found himself covering her neck, jaw line, ear and back down to her collar bone and shoulder. He stopped and rested his cheek against her shoulder and felt her hand rub his head.

"Rachel, I need you." Noah whispered.

"Let me take care of you Noah." She whispered back. "I want to take care of you."

Noah picked his head up and stared at her. "What about Broadway? Your dream? Don't because of me…"

"Noah… I want to. The reason… the reason why I was scared to tell you was because I didn't want to ruin what we had already. And… I didn't want to come in without having a spot waiting for me. I want to be here because I wanted you to want me."

"I want you." He kissed her. "I need you Rachel." He kissed her again. "I love you."

Rachel laughed between the kisses; her heart feeling like someone had filled it up with helium. "Do you mean that?"

Noah smiled and kissed her once more. "Truly and honestly." This time Rachel was the one that kissed him and he pulled her close. They locked lips for several minutes before a cough interrupted them. They pulled apart and froze. There was only one other person in the house. Noah turned and saw his daughter standing in the doorway with her pajamas on. Rebecca stood there with her hands on her hips and a small smile on her lips. Rachel slid off the counter and fixed her shirt that bunched up and her hair that was slightly tangled.

"Hey Bug." Noah said, trying to play off what she had witnessed.

"Daddy… is Rachel your girlfriend now?"

Rachel though she was dreaming… honestly, Noah had confessed feelings to her that only Rachel thought she had. She found herself in the heat of passion with him, thinking it was only physical contact Noah desired. She should have trusted him. Not only had Noah told her that he loved her, but that he also needed her. That's what she wanted all along… was to be needed. Here she was, sitting on the couch snuggled against Noah with his hand in hers and with Rebecca on the floor coloring and watching TV. Noah and Rachel held a quiet conversation so they wouldn't disturb Rebecca.

Rachel traced Noah's finger with her fingertip. "Did you mean _that_?"

"That?"

"Me being your girlfriend?" She felt his hand squeeze hers and she looked up. Noah smiled at her and kissed her forehead.

"I do." _'Now this is the best feeling in the world.'_ Noah thought as he felt Rachel's head slide down onto his shoulder. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"For still being there for me… after everything that has happened between us. I can't believe you're still here." Noah put his cheek on her head. "You have no idea how much this means to me."

Rachel didn't say anything and ran her fingers along his hand and forearm, watching goose bumps rise. As she was smoothing them away when a loud shrill came from the TV… a weather warning. Rebecca jumped up from the floor and onto the couch.

"Daddy?"

"Shh, Bug." Noah and Rachel listened intently to the news caster as she appeared on TV.

"Good afternoon folks, Georgia Sips with the update of the approaching winter storm in the Allen County area. The forecast as changed significantly. Earlier today, we were talking about a mild storm with only 6 to 8 inches of snowfall. A new snow storm is approaching and the estimated accumulation is expected to be 1 to 2 feet. Our meteorologist has advised that at this time you seek safe shelter in the next 2 to 4 hours. Keep all doors and windows locked and try to find a suitable heating source because experts predict a power outage might occur and the wind chill will drop to 4 degrees. Wind gusts are expected to be between 15 and 45 mph. This is the worst storm we've seen in the past 10 years. We advise to use extreme caution."

Rachel looked at Noah who looked at her. For some reason they didn't seem worried at all, but Rachel knew she would have to call Kurt. Just as she was reaching for her phone it began to ring, and she blushed as her ringtone kept playing. Noah chuckled but didn't say anything else and let go of her hand.

"Kurt?"

"Rachel, honey I just saw the warning… you need to get your butt back here! Where are you?!"

"Noah's." Rachel bit her lip. She didn't want to leave just yet.

"Oh." Kurt sighed. "You want to stay there don't you?"

"You're car is stuck in the snow?" Rachel asked, looking worried.

Kurt laughed, playing along with Rachel. "Oh honey, you owe me big. First you ditch out on our shopping plans and now you _want_ to be stuck at Noah's. Something is going on."

"I guess… Noah could drive me, but with Rebecca and all the snow." Rachel looked outside. The snow had picked up again, covering the shoveled sidewalks and plowed roads. "I guess I could walk home." Rachel felt the phone being snatched from her hand.

"Kurt. It's Noah… listen, Rachel can stay here for the night." Noah was silent, listening to Kurt talk. "Don't worry. You too, bye." He hung up the phone and handed it back to Rachel. Before she could open her mouth to protest, Noah cut her off. "Don't. You won't be a bother and after everything that happened today… why wouldn't you want to stay." He grinned.

Rachel smiled and kissed him, receiving a groan from Rebecca.

"Really guys… that's so yucky!" Rebecca hopped off the couch and found her crayons and finished her picture.

"Where would I sleep though?" Rachel took Noah's hand again. She loved the way his calloused hand felt in hers.

"Daddy's bed is big enough to share with you." Rebecca sat up and looked at them.

Noah shifted in his seat. "Bug, I dunno…"

"Why not?" Rebecca asked, tilting her head to the side. "You share with me."

"Yeah, why not?" Rachel teased.

Noah sighed. "Alright, Rachel can have my bed. I'll sleep on the couch."

"Daddy… you're bed is big enough. You both can sleep in it!"

"Plus didn't you hear what the news caster said… find a source of heat because the power might go out." Rachel grinned at Noah, hoping he got the double meaning behind her words. She knew he did when his cheeks turned a slight pink and he cleared his throat.

"That being said, I might as well go downstairs and bring up some firewood. Luckily we have a fireplace to keep us warm."

"Then why don't we sleep out here?" Rachel asked, letting go of his hand when he stood up.

"YEAH! And then we can build a fort and have a campout!" Rebecca stood up and began jumping up and down.

"Okay, okay." He smiled. "Why don't I get the fire wood and you guys find some blankets and pillows?"

Rachel nodded and got off the couch and followed Rebecca to the hallway closet. Inside the small closet were extra towels, bed sheets and blankets. Rachel grabbed the pillows from the top as Rebecca grabbed the blankets. The girls brought the bundles into the living room just as Noah brought a load of wood up. They all grinned at each other and went off to grab more items. Rachel and Rebecca went into Rebecca's room and grabbed her blankets and pillows off the bed. Rebecca grabbed a few stuffed animals and toted them to the living room. Rachel followed her and placed her bedding with the other sheets and pillows.

"How are we gonna make a fort?" Rebecca said, slightly frustrated with the sheets and blankets. She was trying to pull the sheets and blankets over the couch. However, the sheets and blankets would not stay and they kept falling down. Rachel laughed and knelt down next to Rebecca, trying to help her out. After several fail attempts the girls decided it that it would be better to make a big bed on the floor. Rachel moved the coffee table to the side and Rebecca spread out the blankets on the floor. Noah appeared with the second load of wood and noticed the girls' handy work.

"Nice job guys." He placed a started log in the fire place and lit the paper with a lighter. He stood up and looked outside. "Uh oh… looks like this storm is coming in faster than they said it would." Rachel stood up as well and looked out the living room window. The sky had grown considerably darker and the house seemed to get colder. "Can never trust those weather people either… and maybe this storm will only drop another 2 inches." He laughed and knelt back down to the fire and added another log.

"Who knows? Better safe than sorry. Plus, we get a ridiculous amount in New York and my apartment had back up generators. I'm sure we'll be fine." Rachel went over to Noah and touched his bare shoulder. "Hey, where do you keep your flashlights and candles?"

Noah looked over his shoulder and kissed her hand. God, he couldn't get enough of her. "Kitchen. Second drawer next to the fridge."

Rachel nodded and pulled her hair into a ponytail, heading into the kitchen to find those items. She opened the drawer Noah had told her and found a big red flashlight and several small tea candles. Well, some light is better than no light. She grabbed what she needed and headed to the living room where Noah and Rebecca were already laying on the floor watching TV. Rachel set the light sources on the small end table next to the love seat and sat next to Noah, who pulled her down to lay next to him. She placed her head on his chest and could hear his heart beat… this time it was soft, slow and quiet. She smiled and began to watch the movie Rebecca put in, A Bug's Life.

About half way into the movie, the wind had picked up and the snowflakes increased in size… they looked like the fluffy ends of Q-Tips. Rachel was the one who noticed this first when she had to use the bathroom. She came back to find Rebecca snuggling with Noah. Not wanting to disrupt them, Rachel sat down next to Noah and simply rubbed his head. She heard him sigh heavily, a sign that he was enjoying the massage. When the movie ended it was a little after 8 at night and Noah flipped to the news to catch an update on the storm. It was coming faster, the high point hitting around 10pm and not dying off until 5am the next day. Rebecca got bored with the frumpy looking weather man telling them about the storm and suggested another movie.

"The storm is coming no matter how many times we watch the news!" Rebecca said, digging through her movie collection. She pulled out a DVD copy of Toy Story and put it in the DVD player and sat back down. She quickly became absorbed in the movie as it started which gave Rachel and Noah some time to spend together. Rachel sat up on the couch with Noah in between her legs on the floor. She began to rub his head, working down the sides of his neck and then to his shoulders and back. He sighed as her hands worked the tense knots embedded in his muscles. Rachel didn't stop until the movie was over. When it was she stood up and cracked her fingers, moving over to the TV to turn it off. She looked over and saw that Rebecca and Noah had fallen asleep. She smiled and went to the fireplace, placing another log in the dying fire.

Suddenly the place went quiet and Rachel looked up. The DVD player that usually had the blue digital display of the time was blank. Her eyes then went to the red light that should be displayed on the TV when it was turned off… that too was gone. The quiet whirl of the electronics had disappeared and the house was filled with an eerie silence. "I guess they were right for once." Rachel muttered to herself and she went back to the bed her and Rebecca had made. She sat down next to Noah and placed her head on his shoulder.

"Hmm, Rachel?"

"Oh, I didn't mean to wake you." Rachel cried, sitting up. She felt Noah's arm snake around her waist, pulling her to him.

"You woke me up when you stopped rubbing my back." Noah admitted. He opened his eyes and looked at her. "You're so beautiful."

"You're half awake, Noah." Rachel said blushing.

"Doesn't mean I don't know what I'm taking about. How long as she been asleep?" He nodded to Rebecca's sleeping body.

"Probably 30 minutes… it's a little after 10 now. The power went out already and it looks like hell outside."

"Mmm." Noah murmured into Rachel neck as he pulled her closer. "Thanks for putting another log on… it was getting cold."

"You're cold?" Rachel suddenly got up and grabbed a blanket from the pile on the love seat. She threw it over Rebecca and then grabbed another blanket, bringing it over to where Noah was. She threw the blanket around him and then snuggled next to him underneath of it. "Sorry, but if you were cold then Rebecca might be too." Rachel placed her head on his shoulder. It was warm and smooth under her cheek and she turned her head to kiss it.

"Rachel."

Rachel picked up her head and looked at Noah, whose face was close to hers. She felt his hot breath on her neck and it sent shivers down her spine.

"Now look who is cold." Noah teased. He slid down so that he was lying down and pulled Rachel next to him, so that she was facing him. "I'll keep you safe and warm." He breathed, nestling his face in her neck again. He began to lightly suck and bite at the skin. Rachel pressed her lips together to keep from moaning, not wanting to wake Rebecca up. He continued to bite her neck and moved up along her jaw line and then to her lips.

Rachel was already waiting for him. She met his mouth and nibbled on his lower lip until he parted his lips. She pushed her tongue gently against his, feeling his mouth with hers. Noah cupped her face with his and turned on his back. Rachel broke the kiss and looked at him slyly. She picked up the blanket and wrapped it around her body. She slowly swung one leg over him and sat on his thighs, straddling him. She pulled the covers over them as she lend down to kiss Noah. Once her lips touched his, something sparked in Rachel's body. Her lower abdomen felt fuzzy and warm as she felt Noah's growing member between her legs. She blushed, embarrassed for she had never even felt another man below the belt before. She felt Noah's strong hands on her back, gently rubbing it. Rachel attention went from her back to her hips… she was grinding against him. She dropped her head to his shoulder, her breath coming out in uneven gasps.

"Noah… we… not here." Rachel looked over to Rebecca who hadn't move an inch.

"You're right." Noah sat up and pulled Rachel off him. Rachel's heart fell… she didn't want to stop. She was surprised when Noah stood up and picked her up off the floor.

"Noah where…" Rachel tried to ask, but was silence by his kiss. She felt their bodies bumped down the hallway and stopped when Noah tried to open a door. He managed successfully and closed the door of his bedroom with his foot before throwing Rachel on the bed. He crawled on top of her, his hands roaming from her thighs to her waist to her sides to her breasts and to her neck, resting there before kissing her again.

"I love you Rachel."

Rachel smiled. "I love you." She then reached for the edge of his wife beater and slowly slid it off his torso, revealing his well defined chest and arms. God, his arms were still lovely. She reached up and kissed him hard. She felt him pull back, his eyes full of concern and doubt.

"Rachel… I… are you sure you want this. I can wait… I'll wait as long as you want me to."

"Noah." Rachel propped herself up on her elbows. "I've been waiting for 7 years."

With that Noah grinned, that silly Puckish grin and laid her down gently. He was going to be as gentle as he could with her. He wanted everything to be as perfect as sex could be… not just for her but for himself as well.

This was the first time ever… he was going to make love.

**A/N: Yes! Another chapter! This means… more reviews!! I hope you like it. I know this seems rushed, but not to worry… this story still has SEVERAL more chapters go!! PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE REVIEW!!!**


	12. Whole Again

**A/N: AND NOW THE MOMENT YOU ALL BEEN WAITING FOR! **

Disclaimer: *grumble* Yes, yes I know… I own nothing.

Chapter Twelve: Whole Again

Rachel thought she was dreaming again. Why couldn't she believe anything that was happening to her? Why couldn't she believe that Noah loved and needed her? But when she felt that soft touch brush along her skin, she knew… it was no dream.

"Noah." She breathed, shifting slightly underneath him.

"Mmm." Was the only reply he got. He was working on her neck again, his favorite spot to taste. He moved down her shoulder, pushing aside the thin fabric of her thermal. He felt Rachel struggle to sit up and he rolled over so she could. A pang of panic ran through him, thinking she had changed her mind. He wasn't scared that she might change her mind… he just didn't want to move to fast for her.

Rachel simply smiled at him, glad that he rolled onto his back. She crawled over him and straddled his waist again. She crossed her arms at her waist, grabbing the hem of her shirt and began to pull it off. She threw the shirt onto the floor and sat there, secretly glad that she wore her black lace bra. She noticed how Noah's eyes roamed over her near naked torso and then met her eyes. Noah sat up with Rachel still straddling him and kissed her deeply. He quickly moved back down to her shoulder and with one finger he slid the bra strap down her arm. As he made his way up and down her shoulder, he placed one of his hands on her breast gently kneading it. When he heard her moan softly he slipped his hand under the wire, pulling the bra above her breast. His hand continued to massage her, gently rubbing her nipple between his fingers.

Rachel arched her back into him, placing her head on his shoulder. "Harder." She muttered.

Noah grinned and added more pressure to her nipple, pinching, pulling and rolling it in his fingers. He then slipped up the bra on the other side and began to work on her other breast. He kissed her along her collar bone and then down to the first exposed breast, laying gentle kisses everywhere. He could feel Rachel buck against him lightly and felt her hand run over his head and down his back. Noah bit his lip, trying to compose himself. He knew Puck would have already been inside her by now. Noah had never foreplayed that much… it was always the main event. He ran his tongue gently around her nipple, flicked his tongue and took it into his mouth, sucking on it. Yes, he could get use to the foreplay.

As Noah played and massaged with Rachel's breasts, he felt her hot mouth on his neck. No one has ever put their mouth there before and the feeling drove Noah wild. The tingling sensation he felt went down to his lower stomach, filling it with the drive and passion that sex called for. Rachel Berry… was turning him on. His hand went to her back, searching for the bra clasp and with one hand he unhooked her bra. Rachel pulled away impressed and watched Noah slide the thin lacey fabric off her shoulders and onto the floor. He sat back a little bit and admired what God had given her. Her breasts were full and perky, definitely bigger since high school. Her nipples were hard and slightly red from Noah's doings. He ran his rough hands over them, loving the feel of her soft skin.

"God, you're beautiful." He murmured, taking a nipple into his mouth again. Rachel blushed, glad it was dark and the power was out. She threw her head back, trying to give Noah as much skin as she could. Rachel could feel something burning in her lower abdomen and was driving her crazy. She realized that Noah was taking his time because this was her first time and she felt grateful. But being in the dark had made Rachel feel more adventurous… more daring. He wouldn't be able to see her facial expressions, sure that her orgasm face was ridiculous looking. She took a deep breath and placed her hands on Noah's firm chest, pushing him back onto the bed. She slid down further so she was now sitting on his thighs and ran her fingers down his chest, coming dangerous close to the waist band of his sweats. She felt Noah shake slightly underneath of her, his groans a sign of pleasure. Rachel bent her head down letting her dark hair cover her face. Noah reached up and tucked it behind her ears. "I want to see your gorgeous face."

"You… you can see me?" Rachel squeaked. Her daring and adventurous spirit leaving her and shy, timid Rachel came back. She felt Noah sit up again, placing his lips against hers.

"You have nothing to be embarrassed about Rach…" he mumbled into her ear. "Trust me." Noah laid back down on the bed, his eyes on hers. Rachel bit her lip and looked down at Noah's erection. The burning sensation bucked against her insides… Rachel did trust him and this feeling in her lower belly was causing her sex drive to heighten. At that moment she didn't care if she would mess up or not do something properly. She knew that Noah loved her and knew it was her first time. Still, she couldn't help but feel anxious about being with a more experienced person. She pushed that thought out of her mind… if she was going to enjoy this, then she couldn't worry about things like that.

Rachel began to trace the outlines of Noah's muscles, starting at his chest and working down his abs. Using both hands, she traced the V shape muscle that led her hands to his package. Rachel bit her lip as her fingers lightly grazed his erection through his pants, feeling the hardness of his member. She sighed an 'oh', receiving a chuckled from Noah. She continued to run her finger over his member, adding more pressure and then running her entire hand over it, gently massaging it through the fabric. She felt Noah's legs shake and she grinned. She slide further down and leaned over, placing her mouth very close to him. She expelled a rush of hot air, blowing directly onto his member. She heard Noah groan and he shifted slightly.

"Rach…" he muttered. "Damn." No one has ever made him feel this excited or anxious, but it was worth the wait. Who knew Rachel Berry could be so… teasing. Noah tried to relax, but the flow of hot air, Rachel's breath, on his member… was… overwhelming. He felt her finger slip under the elastic band of his sweats, running back and forth from hip to hip. Her fingertips were so close to him and the more she moved them underneath the band, the closer her fingers got. When she was literally millimeters away from contact she removed her hand and Noah looked up. Rachel had crawled off the bed and placed her hands at his hips, tugging at his sweats. She bit her lip, something that Noah would never tire of, and slowly pull his pants down over his member, exposing himself. He felt Rachel pause; the look in her eyes was a look of admiration and she finished pulling his sweats down, passed his knees, his ankles and then silently onto the floor.

Rachel grinned at her accomplishment. Before her was Noah void of clothing and looking as gorgeous as ever. She moved back to the bed preparing to take him on, but was stopped when Noah suddenly sat up and ran his hands over her back, down past her butt and on her thighs. He had one hand on the outer side and one hand on the inner, gently rubbing up and down. Rachel sighed heavily and placed her forehead against his. Noah looked up and kissed her, his tongue sweeping the inside of her mouth. He detached himself from her sweet taste and trailed kissed down her neck, in between her breasts and down her stomach. His hands were still roaming over her thighs and he moved one to her hip and the other gently between her legs. He rubbed the soft spot gently and used his other hand to pull her thermals down.

To get them completely off Noah had to remove his hand. When he did, Rachel whimpered and pressed herself closer to Noah.

"Don't stop." She breathed.

"I won't." Noah grinned and pulled her pants down to her ankles. Rachel shook them off one foot at a time and stood there in nothing but her matching black lace underwear. His hand went back to her spot, rubbing her through the ridiculously thin fabric which had gotten wet. Noah groaned and pushed the fabric aside, still rubbing her. Rachel shifted slightly, giving him more room and Noah slowly slipped one finger inside of her. Rachel's hand flew to his shoulder and she squeezed tightly. Noah continued to slide his finger in and out and slowly added another finger. It was a tight fit and Noah slowed down to allow Rachel to adjust.

Rachel groaned in pain, but once it passed she relaxed her hands. "Keep going."

Noah took a nipple in her mouth and continued to work his fingers, curling them inside her trying to find her G-spot. He took his thumb and pressed it to her clit, rubbing in circles while thrusting his fingers in and out of her. Rachel bent over and grabbed his hard member firmly in her hand. This action surprised Noah and he stopped momentarily. Rachel began to rub him up and down slowly. Noah groaned and removed his hand, yanking down her underwear accidently ripping it.

"Ah damn, I'm sorry."

"Don't… just rip it off." Rachel muttered in his ears, pumping him harder and faster.

"What?"

"Do it." She said huskily, running her tongue on the outer ridge of his ear. Noah groaned loudly and proceeded to rip the black lace panties at the hip. He went to the other side and pulled at the fabric and pulled the torn underwear between her legs, running it along her clit. Rachel wiggled her hips to heighten the feeling, moaning as the wet fabric moved along between her legs. Noah threw them to the floor. He grabbed Rachel by the waist, and pulled her onto the bed and rolled on top of her. He slipped his fingers back inside her moved himself further down so that his mouth was over her spot. It was his turn to tease her and he blew his hot breath on her, his fingers still working. "No-ah." She gasped and he smirked. He lowered his head and ran his tongue over her clit before taking it in his mouth, gently sucking on it.

Rachel's hand went to his head, gripping what little hair he had. She held his head in place and started moving her hips with his motions. Noah looked up at her and licked his lips, the action sending Rachel over the edge. She put her hands under Noah's arm and tugged, wanting him to move up. He got the message and removed his hand, placing them on either side of her head. He leaned down and placed his lips against hers. Rachel pushed her tongue in his mouth; her hand went down to his groin and took it firmly in her hand. Her thumb rubbed circles on his head and he moaned in her mouth. Rachel bit her lip and smiled at him, taking the head of his dick and rubbing it against her clit. She closed her eyes and moaned, enjoying the self stimulation she was giving herself.

"Rachel…"

She looked at Noah and nodded. She was ready, but…

"Just wait one second." He whispered and kissed her before getting off the bed. She sat up and watched him go into the bathroom and rummage in the cabinets. After what seemed like hours Noah emerged with a silver packet in his hand. Rachel smiled, reached out her hand when he came close to her and took the packet.

"I'll do it." She said coyly. She ripped open the foil and pulled out the condom. She grabbed Noah's butt, pulling him close to her and looked up smiling.

"You know how to…"

"Noah… of course I do." Rachel said, but instead of putting the rubber on, she opened her mouth and pushed Noah inside. She felt his legs buckled slightly and he grabbed onto her shoulder and wrapped his other hand in her hair. Rachel sucked, moving his member in and out and took her hand and cupped his balls, gently massaged them as well. Noah let out a ragged breath and cursed quietly. If Rachel could smile, she would… she was pleased that she wasn't disappointing him. Rachel closed her eyes and pushed Noah as far as she could. Miss Pillsbury had told her that her non existent gag reflex would come in handy and she was right. Rachel felt her lips on his pelvic bone and she realized that he was all the way in.

Rachel fucking Berry… can deep throat. Noah was in heaven. He stood there for as long as his legs would let him, enjoying the feeling of the blow job. It was definitely better than his dream. It stopped all too soon and Noah looked down at Rachel who was rolling the condom onto his erection. She scooted back onto the bed and beckoned Noah with one finger. He grinned his Puckish grin and climbed onto bed, spreading her legs open and crawling between them. He positioned himself above Rachel, covering her face, lips and neck with kisses. He put his weight onto his arms, not wanting to hurt Rachel. Rachel slid her hand down between their bodies, grabbing firmly onto his member, guiding to her entrance. Noah pulled back and looked at her.

"Are you sure? Rachel I _can_ wait."

"Noah… I love you."

Noah smiled and slowly entered her, waiting for Rachel's pain to go away. He leaned down and whispered in her ear. "I love you." Rachel bit down on his shoulder, tears flooding her eyes… the pain too much to bear. She almost told him to pull out but just then the pain started to ebb away. She looked up at him and Noah kissed the tears from her face. "I swear, this will be the only time I will ever hurt you."

"I know." Rachel muttered and nodded. Noah placed his lips against hers and gently began to rock against her, slowly moving in and out. Rachel moaned in his mouth and tightens her grip on his shoulder. "Harder." She mumbled.

Noah gladly obeyed, his thrusts becoming harder and his pace quickening. Rachel began to buck against him, giving Noah an idea. He wrapped his arm around her waist and rolled over, not breaking their connection. Rachel was surprised by this action, curious to know why he did this. He took his hands and placed them on her breasts, massaging them and pushing her upright at the same time. Rachel blushed and gasped, the new feeling inside her was incredible. She began to rock against him, now taking charge. Noah still had his hands on her breasts and he flexed his ab muscles. Rachel gasped again and looked down at Noah. He had flexed his muscles so that she could rub her clit against the hard smooth surface. Rachel shuddered and leaned down, rubbing and bucking against Noah, trying to figure out with orgasm to have to first. She felt closest to her clitoral climax and just rubbed herself against Noah's hard lower abdominal muscles.

"No…Noah. I'm… I'm…" Rachel moaned, dropped her head on his shoulder, gently biting it. Her hands clamped down on his biceps as she felt her climax coming. He grabbed her hips and held her down allowing her to finish her orgasm. Rachel bit her lip and dug her nails into Noah's arms as the climax took over her body. Exhausted, she laid down on top of Noah, breathing heavily as if she ran 5 miles. "Oh…my… God." She muttered.

"Oh honey… we're not done yet." Noah grinned and flipped her back over, so he was now on top of her. He hitched one of her legs up on his waist and began to pump in and out of her, feeling his climax coming close. Watching Rachel get off made Noah go crazy, his member aching for pleasure. He kept his hand under her waist and held her up, pumping faster and faster. He grunted as he felt his own climax coming. "Rach-el" he groaned, practically slamming his hips into her.

Rachel sat up a little, covering his mouth with her to devour his moans, which had become increasing louder. She moaned back into his, feeling her second climax coming. Her walls clamped down around him and she bit down on his bottom lip. He followed her seconds later, feeling his release and he sank down, burying his face into her neck. His body shook from his orgasm and he rolled off of Rachel, lying on his back. He pulled her halfway onto his chest, stroking her hair and watched her chest rise and fall rapidly.

"Wow." Was all that Rachel could say. "Wooooow."

Noah chuckled and kissed her forehead. "I know."

Rachel sat up and looked at him, smiling. She kissed him full on the mouth then, she sat up and went to look for her clothes, picking up the torn underwear. She grinned at Noah and went to the bathroom and threw them away. She grabbed some toilet paper to clean herself off and noticed she was bleeding. She raced out of the bathroom and looked at Noah, then to the sheet next to him. A small dark stain stood out in the dark and Rachel blushed.

"Noah… I…" she pointed to the bed and Noah looked over. He sat up and shrugged, moving over to Rachel, wrapping her in a warm hug.

"Don't worry about it. It's just a bed sheet." He said, kissing her cheek.

"Are you sure?"

Noah nodded and grabbed his sweats, pulling them back on. "Positive." He bent down and picked up her thermals, tossing them to her. "We should get back to the living room before Rebecca catches us again." He grinned and helped her put her shirt back on, kissing her breasts again before pulling the shirt down. Rachel giggled and pulled her pants back on. She took Noah's hand and pulled him back into the living room.

Rebecca was still in the same spot, the blanket thrown off of her. Rachel bent over the little girl and tucked her in, placing a soft kiss on her forehead. Rachel claimed a spot on the floor and watched Noah place a few more logs on the fire. Once Noah made sure the fire was going he went to lay down with Rachel. She was already lying on her side so Noah went behind her, spooning her body with his. He pulled the blanket over them and snuggled close to Rachel.

"I love you." Rachel whispered, taking his hand and holding it close to her. She finally felt whole, safe and warm.

"I love you." Noah responded, burying his face in her soft hair.

As they both feel asleep, only one thought crossed both of their minds.

This, by far, was the best feeling in the world.

**A/N: I had so much fun writing this chapter! I hope you enjoyed reading it! As always, review!**


	13. Family Reunion

**A/N: Wow… I am so sorry for the delay!! I came back from Thanksgiving break and was slammed with final projects, papers and FINALS! Then I spent weeks travelling about for the holidays and working. Then back to school… wow, you guys are so awesome for waiting like this! **

**Thanks for waiting! I promised to not disappoint!**

Disclaimer: Lalalala… don't own anything. 

Chapter Thirteen: Family Reunion 

It's been a week since Rachel and Noah had declared their undying love for each other. A week since they had proven that as well. Rachel's thoughts fluttered back to that night, her cheeks burning at the intimate thoughts.

"Earth to Rachel! These ornaments don't put themselves up ya know?" Kurt's voice snapped her train of thought, confusing her for a second.

"Oh, what?" she looked at her best friend, who was standing next to his fake 8 foot tall Christmas tree hanging silver, red and gold ornaments. The glass bulbs had a glitter design glued on them, casting diamonds on the walls and ceiling of Kurt's living room. "Sorry Kurt but you know I don't do Christmas… it's just hard to get into anything."

Kurt sighed and hung the silver candy cane on a limb before turning to Rachel. "I'm aware of that, yes. Sorry sweetie, but this party is going to be huge! It has to be perfect. Kurt Hummel _always_ has the best parties in Lima." He placed a hand on his hip. "And I mean _always_!" He emphasized again. He turned back to his box of ornaments and picked up another silver one. He hung it on the delicate branch and then stood back to admire his work. You wouldn't know there was a tree under all the bulbs, tinsel, bows and lights. "There, perfect. Now the party is in precisely 6 hours. Did you get all the food?"

"Yes Kurt." Rachel muttered.

"Great." He clapped his hands together and danced to the kitchen. "Now we just have to prep!"

"Prep what?" Rachel asked, following her flamboyant friend to the kitchen. "We have cheese, crackers, chips… we just need to set everything down on a plate."

"Aw… wrong you are, grasshoppa!" Kurt smiled. "I meant the decorations on the plates!"

Rachel groaned… this was gonna a long day.

As it neared the end of the plate decorations, they started setting up the big table in the living room. Kurt had thrown a festive table cloth on top; the glittering words of "Merry Christmas" sparkled in the dim lights produced by the overloaded Christmas tree. Several plates of crackers, cheese and fruit were placed on the table, extravagant center pieces place in the middle. Next where the bowls of pretzels, chips, dips and other various holiday goodies… Rachel had even set out her own bowl of chocolate money and some of her Grandma's famous cookies. At the end of the long table stood a large crystal bowl filled with red punch, the cups stacked neatly next to it. Kurt was about to add "some kick" when Rachel had reminded him that there would be kids present and was sure their parents would not want them to drink spiked punch. Kurt sighed and put the bottle back in the kitchen, muttering something that sounded like, "I'll spike my own then." Once the food and decoration were in place, Rachel and Kurt had approximately 30 minutes before their guests would arrive. They hurried to their respective rooms and got dressed.

Kurt wore a pair of dark skinny jeans and his favorite red form fitting sweater. He pulled on a pair of black boots and matching black hat. Rachel had decided to where her favorite dress that she wore for special occasions. It was gold, with hints of glitter all over the dress and a high waist band made of a darker golden color. She had straightened her hair and parted it off to the side, letting it fall in front of her face a little. She matched her jewelry to the golden dress and pulled a pair of strappy heels, which were a softer shade of gold. Once both of them were decent and acceptable to be seen, the doorbell rang.

"Rach honey, can you get that… I found a stray eyebrow hair I need to pluck." Kurt called from his master bathroom.

"'Kay" she called down the hallway and clicked her way over to the front door, opening it wide. She was shocked to see who the first person was.

"Hey… wow, you look incredible. Hope we're not too early." Noah grinned and placed a hand on Rebecca's head. "Little squirt here wanted to leave at noon today." He chuckled quietly, his eyes bright with excitement.

Rachel blushed at his comment, still feeling awkward around him after last week. "Thanks and no you're not early. Perfect timing." She flashed him a dazzling smile and opened the door wider. "Come on in." She stepped back and allowed the two of them to come inside. Once they shrugged out of their coats, Rachel took them into the small formal living room that had been converted to hold purses, coats and other miscellaneous items. She placed their coats in the room and led them to the other living room, with the food and tree. Rebecca looked at the tree and then at her dad.

"Daddy… what's with the tree?"

"It's a Christmas tradition honey."

"Oh." Rebecca made a face. "Seems like a lot of work for one day…" Noah and Rachel laughed. "You said there's gonna be other kids."

"Oh yes, Kurt's cousins. They should be here shortly." And what perfect timing again… the doorbell rang and waiting on the other side was Sarah with 3 kids crowding behind her, with what seemed to be her husband bring up the rear. "Hey, you must be Sarah?" Rachel asked, as she stepped aside to let them in. "I'm Rachel."

Sarah smiled and pulled off her hat. "Yes, Kurt's told me about you. I'm Sarah and this is my husband Jack. And these are our kids," she pointed to each child, oldest to youngest. "Andrew, Casey and Heather."

Heather peaked around her mom and looked at Rebecca, determining whether this girl was an acceptable playmate. Rebecca seemed to be doing the same and the two girls sized each other up. Rachel took Sarah and Jack's coats and put them in the 'coat room' as well before mentioning the playroom she had assembled downstairs. Sarah's kids immediately got excited, their bashfulness disappearing, and threw their coats off before running downstairs.

"Sorry, they're a little..." Sarah said, picking up 3 sets of coats, hats and gloves off the floor.

"Don't worry about it. Kids will be kids." Rachel replied, helping her with the boots.

"Daddy!" Rebecca nearly whined, dancing impatiently. "Can I pleeeeeease go play?"

Noah kissed the top of her head. "Play nice." Was all he could get out before the tiny 6 year old bounced out of sight. "Kids."

Kurt, finally taming his brows, came out of his room and into to the hallway to see who had arrived. "Sarah! Jack! So lovely you could come!" He hugged his cousin before awkwardly shaking hands with her husband. "Where are the kids?"

"Already tearing your basement apart." Jack said. Kurt groaned and launched into another dramatic tale of his. Rachel didn't catch the rest because she was led away by Noah. He had pulled her into the living room and sat them both on one of the couches.

"Hey, I'm sorry I haven't… existed lately." He grinned. "Work has been ridiculous and Rebecca is… well Rebecca. I really am sorry and you do look incredible tonight." He shifted his body, angling towards hers and leaned forward. "Forgive me?"

"Noah… you didn't do anything wrong." Rachel looked at her hands. "I mean, I haven't exactly been trying to call either… this stupid party." She looked up. "Forgive me?"

Noah chuckled and leaned over to her, brushing his lips against her ear. "I love you Berry."

Rachel shivered, not from the rush of air, but from those words. It's weird how she could still get that funny feeling in her stomach, but she didn't mind… it meant that it was real. She pressed her forehead against his. "I love you more."

"Ahem, am I interrupting?" Kurt said, standing behind the couch. He laughed quietly when Noah and Rachel had jumped apart, blushes creeping across their faces. "So I was… carry on then." He said before dancing away.

There was no time to continue their conversation for the rest of the guests had arrived. Tina and Artie showed up first and with a little help from Noah and Jack, Artie made it into the house safely. Kurt had already rearranged all his furniture so that Artie could move around with ease. Rachel was surprised on how little Artie had changed, still wearing his suspenders and thick glasses and on how much Tina had changed. Her hair was now cropped short, framing her round face nicely and still had hints of blue dye in a few strands. Next to arrive were Mr. and Mrs. Schuester who greeted the old club like no time had past by. Emma gingerly hugged the girls, which was difficult given her swollen belly. Will, never leaving Emma's side, gushed on how excited he was about his new baby that would be due in the following month. Mercedes gave a dramatic diva entrance, but this was expected. She was welcomed by open arms and quickly started to catch up with Tina. Rachel looked around the room, trying to see if anyone else was missing. Of course, the former Cheerios Santana and Brittany were not here as well as the football player Mike and

Matt. Rachel wondered if they would show up and quietly asked Kurt.

"Well, I sent out a mass email to the Glee Club." Kurt said as he rearranged the flowers on the table.

"A mass email? No invitations?" Rachel teased.

"Hey now… I only have so much money and plus the emails were very festive."

Rachel laughed. "Did you get a RSVP from them?"

"They all gave maybes."

Rachel nodded and went back to the living room to mingle with her old friends. Noah had pulled out his guitar and started strumming a few chords, warming up his fingers. He asked for any requests, hoping to get something started to make the group remember the old days of high school. Mercedes picked out a fairly recent song and before long the old Glee kids were singing along. Rachel was about to join the group when the doorbell rang again. She clicked her way to the entrance and found the 4 remaining group members there. Mike, Matt, Brittany and Santana smiled eagerly as Rachel opened the door wider for them, taking coats and exchanging greetings.

"Alright… finally got the party started." Santana said, hurrying to the living room. A series of a squeals erupted from the other room as more greetings and affections were exchanged. Rachel briefly wondered what would happen between Noah and the former head cheerleader. That was the least of her worries however. As the night progressed, the party had exploded into sing-a-longs, stories of what was going in people's lives and reminiscing of the old days. It wasn't until Kurt had busted out the video tapes when things got interesting.

"Look what I have!" Kurt sang as he set the cardboard box on the coffee table. He shifted through a few tapes before selecting one. "Ah yes… one of our better moments."

"Kurt… what is on that tape?" Tina asked. She was sitting on the arm on Artie's chair, playing with his hair.

"Oh, nothing embarrassing of course." Kurt smiled and the group groaned. Of course, knowing Kurt, it was embarrassing.

"Wait, who is on it? I want to leave to room if it's me." Artie declared, preparing to wheel himself away.

"You're not on it Artie." Kurt pushed the tape into the player. "But you'll enjoy it just as much. I had Rachel tape this for me."

"Kurt no!" Rachel cried, trying to stifle a giggle. "You're gonna show that?!"

"What is it?" Noah asked, looking between Kurt and Rachel.

Rachel only grinned at Noah. "Only your finest moment."

Curiosity got the better of the group and they eagerly waited for what the tape had to offer. The black and white snow gave way to a football field littered with red and white jerseyed football players on it. The view went to the scoreboard that had 2 seconds left and the score 0 to 6… the home team was losing. The camera panned back to the football team ready to run the next play when the quarterback called for time out and motioned another player over.

"Are you serious?" Noah cried as he watched the beginnings of the most embarrassing thing (except for getting slushied) in his whole high school career. Rachel giggled and hit his arm to quiet him.

The camera focused on two players, number 5 and 20, in a heated discussion. After about 30 seconds the team huddled back together to discuss a new play. Matt and Mike closed their eyes afraid to watch the next bit of the video, the memory still vivid in their minds. As the team broke from the huddle, the quarterback Finn began to call the play then motioned to the speaker system to start up the music. The speakers blared a little and Rachel's voice could be heard from behind the camera.

"I can't believe they're gonna do this."

"I can't believe you video taped this." Noah said, responding more to Rachel's voice on the video.

"All the Single Ladies" began to play and the football players started to dance to the infamous choreography. So the audience began to dance and the camera swayed slightly, as if Rachel was dancing herself. The football players who sat in Kurt's living watch in horror as the rest of the Glee members laughed. They had forgotten the story about this and were glad to finally see it on tape. Mercedes wiped the tears from her eyes from laughing so hard and Artie began to mimic some of the dance moves.

Finn called 'hike' and when he received the ball he quickly threw it to Noah, who was sprinting down the field. The camera followed him, slowing zooming in. Noah had caught the ball and made the touchdown, throwing in a little dance move himself. Rachel's giggle erupted from behind the camera.

"Funny?" Noah asked, lightly punching her arm.

"I thought it was cute." Rachel muttered.

The rest of the tape captured Kurt's field goal kick and the winning of the game. The audience had erupted into cheers and the camera bounced crazily all over the place. The last image was of Kurt being carried away by his teammates and then the screen returned to the black and white snow. Kurt got up and pulled the tape out and began rummaging for another. The former Glee club members were busy chatting away about the tapes, throwing comments and remarks at the football players. Rachel reached over and squeezed Noah's hand gently. Their conversations were stopped when 4 pairs of feet trampled up the stairs.

"We heard music." Rebecca exclaimed as she dashed into the living room. She looked at all the people, surprised by how many had arrived.

"We were just watching some video tapes from when we were in high school." Noah said, getting off the couch. "Hungry kid?"

"Yes!" Rebecca said, running to the table deciding what she wanted to eat. Sarah's kids had done the same, and soon the buffet was nearly void of edible goods. As the parents were tending to the children's needs, Tina had quietly asked how Noah was doing. Before Rachel could respond the doorbell had rang and she looked over at Kurt.

"Expecting anyone else? It's pretty late."

"No. Everyone is here." Kurt said, a confusion expression crossing his face.

"It's okay, I'll get it." Rachel got up off the couch and threw a glance at Tina, as if saying that she'd explain later. She maneuvered through the crowd of kids and food, touching Noah on the arm and flashed him a smile, before answering the door. She pulled it open and froze.

"Berry. Nice to see you again."

"What… what are you doing here?" Rachel asked, unsure how she was able to speak.

"Well, we got invited, so don't be rude and let us in."

Rachel didn't say anything and she didn't move. She was stunned, like the wind had been knocked out of her.

"Hello? Rachel?" A second voice drifted to her ears. Rachel snapped out of her trance and called for the first person she could think of… yet the last person that should be here.

"Noah." Her voice cracked. She searched from him through the crowd and when she locked eyes with him he immediately came over. The rest of the Glee members looked over curiously.

"You okay?" Noah asked, placing a hand on her shoulder. He followed her gaze to the front door and his jaw dropped. "Y-you."

"My goodness, everyone is so rude tonight."

"Quinn, what are you doing here?" Noah asked, regaining himself.

"Like I told Rachel, we got invited." Quinn repeated, gesturing to Finn behind her. "We didn't want to be rude and miss the family reunion."

But Noah didn't respond to that either, nor did Rachel. They were both staring at the small child nestled in Finn's arms.

"Oh yes." Quinn said, following their stares. "I also thought it would be appropriate for Rebecca to meet her little brother."

**A/N: Cliff hanger! Thanks again for waiting… I was also sick a few times and I had massive writer's block. But, now that that's gone… chapters should be coming up more often now. R&R!**


	14. Mistake

**A/N: I have to say… I AM TOTALLY PUMPED FOR THE NEW SEASON OF GLEE! You have no idea! Sorry that this took a while… I had to figure out where to go. I also re-read the story, so I had it fresh in my mind. Plus, school was coming to an end and final projects and exams... made my head explode. But I am out for the summer now! Meaning, lots of chapters. **

**(Please don't hate me in the next couple of weeks, I am traveling to Hong Kong, allow me to adjust to the time/weather/etc. THANKS!)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee… only the DVD and music I bought!**

Chapter Fourteen: Mistake

_A brother? Her little brother… _

Noah fell back onto to the couch. He couldn't look at Quinn or the child in Finn's arms. He couldn't look at his former Glee club members, only at the worn spot on the toe of his shoe. He couldn't look at Rebecca or answer any of her questions. And he couldn't, _couldn't_, look at Rachel. Noah tried to tune out the series of shouts and hush voices from the front door. All he could do was stare at his hands.

"Daddy."

He felt a hand on his arm and he looked up. Rebecca was standing there, her green eyes, staring at him intently. "Daddy, how come you didn't tell me I had a baby brother?" she asked for the 100th time.

"I… I didn't know you had one. Your mom didn't tell me."

"Oh… well can I play with him?"

"I…" Noah began, but stopped when heard the door slam shut. He looked behind him to see only Kurt and Rachel return. Kurt went straight to the living room while Rachel went to her room. Kurt sat down next to Mr. Schue looking grave.

"Sorry about that." Kurt began. "Apparently Quinn and Finn kept the same emails and I failed to delete them off my mailing list. They accidentally received my invite for the Christmas party. If you couldn't tell… Quinn and Finn have a child together now." There was a collective gasp and Kurt waited for the murmurs to die down before continuing. "His name in Daniel and he's about 2 years old… and of course Rebecca's brother." Kurt peered over to Noah, who had gotten up and went to Rachel's room. Kurt continued…

But Noah couldn't listen anymore… he didn't want to. All he wanted was Rachel. He went to the door he watched her go through and knocked softly. Not bothering to wait for an answer he opened the door and walked in. But what he saw made his heart drop. "Why are you packing?" Noah's voice jumped an octave as he watched Rachel frantically throw a couple of shirts into her suitcase without folding them neatly.

"Noah!" Rachel dropped her hairbrush and picked it back up. Her hand brushed against her eyes, wiping away unseen tears. She turned her back to him, grabbing the shirts she had thrown in her suitcase, carefully folding them. "I... uh..."

"Why are you packing?" Noah repeated, taking a step towards Rachel. He gently took her arm, pulling the faded pink cotton shirt from her limp hands. "Rachel, why..."

"I can't... Noah, I can't."

"You can't what?" He brushed her bangs to the side, looking her in the eyes. "What Rachel?"

"Be here..." she gasped. She struggled out of his grasp and turned back to her suitcase.

"Excuse me?'

Rachel paused for a moment. Slowly, she picked up the pink shirt that Noah took from her and refolded it. She placed it back in her suitcase and grabbed another shirt, minutes of silence passed by them. "I'm... sorry Noah. So sorry, because this isn't your fault. I shouldn't have let this, carry on the way it did."

"You don't mean that Rach, seriously? Quinn just appeared out of the blue- no one saw that coming. But, it doesn't change the way I feel about you or Rebecca. I still love you both so very much. I can't watch you go like this."

Rachel looked over her shoulder, trying to keep the tears from falling. "No, you are right. No one saw it coming, but I knew it was bound to happen one day and I was hoping I wasn't in the picture when it happened."

"Why?" Noah knew he couldn't fight her anymore. Reluctantly, he picked up a pair of her jeans and folded them neatly. "Why don't you want to be in the picture? With me and Rebecca?"

"No, I do... it's just that... Noah... I love you, so much. I always have." She put the shirt down and crossed over to him, placing a hand on his cheek. "I love you and Rebecca, but I can't be here with Quinn and her baby, Rebecca's brother."

"Why?" Noah asked again. This word was starting to rub him the wrong way.

"Because..." Rachel pinched the bridge of her nose. "Noah, I saw us going somewhere, call me crazy... but I saw us together. Forever. I... I didn't want to put that pressure on Rebecca to have to deal with Quinn and me, but now a younger brother. And what about more kids? Rebecca will have siblings all over the place... and..."

Noah shut her up with a kiss. He bent his head down, placing his lips against hers. Rachel's body went soft, then rigid as she pulled away.

"No..." She said, but her hand were still on his chest. "Noah, no."

"Rachel... this is crazy! Regardless of what happens with us, Quinn and Finn's life is something we cannot control. Rebecca could have 7 siblings for I care... the thing is... Rebecca is my only child. Rebecca will always have the chance to see Quinn because I can't take that away from her. But I have nothing left with Quinn, except for Becca, and I want to start over again... with you." He kissed her forehead. "Please, don't go."

Rachel burst into tears and held onto Noah. Her body shook with each sob, wave after wave of emotion flooding her. She clutched his shirt, his ears, his arms and began tugging at the end of his shirt, sliding it up his torso.

"Rachel, honey." Noah tried to stop Rachel from taking off his shirt. "Not now."

"Why?" It was Rachel's turn to use that stupid, worn out word. "Why not?"

"You are upset, angry..." Noah was cut off by Rachel's lips. He tried to pulled back but something coursed through Rachel that made her feel stronger. He could feel it too, as if she was trying to tell him something... like goodbye. But his mind drew blank, and his urges took over him. Grabbing Rachel by the waist, he picked her up and brought her to the bed.

Neither of them cared that the party was still going on.

**A/N: This is a very, very short chapter I know! But I thought something was better than nothing... I realized that I haven't updated in months :/ Next chapter will be posted soon.... is Rachel gonna leave or stay? **


	15. Gone

**A/N: To my fans and readers, I am sincerely sorry for the absence. I have realized that this story has not been updated in… almost 2 years. Completely unacceptable! I will never forgive myself for this. I am finishing my last undergrad year at college, and let's just say the past few years have been intense. This is no excuse, but believe me, I am sorry. **

**But the show must go on right? And on it will go…**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee or its characters, only the DVDs and music that I bought… and even then, I truly don't own them. **

Chapter Fifteen: Gone

Noah rolled over in his sleep, throwing an arm over the sleeping figure next to him. She felt soft and… squishy. Too squishy. Something was not right. He cracked one eye open and saw that his arm had in fact landed on the pillow beside him. Still groggy from sleep, he slowly pushed himself up and looked around.

"Rachel?"

Sunlight was streaming through the cracks of the blinds and as Noah moved to continue to look for Rachel, a beam of light fell in his eyes.

"Sonofabitch." He muttered, untangling himself from the bed sheets. It was only then that he was aware of his lack of clothing. Noah closed his eyes in an effort to awake himself. _'That's right…'_ he thought to himself. Noah had briefly forgotten the events of the night before, but as Quinn's son's face came into his mind, he jolted out of bed.

Rachel had been pretty upset last night. Upset enough to retreat in her room, leaving the party early and even started packing her bags. Her bags… Noah wildly looked around for Rachel's luggage in the room.

It was gone.

Noah scrambled around the room, gathering his clothes and throwing them on haphazardly. He looked in the small bathroom and couldn't help but feel a large lump settle in his stomach when he didn't see her personal belongings on the bathroom counter. He threw the bedroom door open and looked up and down the hallway. He hadn't even bothered to check the time, but from the looks of the house the party was definitely over and it was early in the morning. He wandered into the living room where Kurt, Sarah and Jack were all sitting, drinking coffee. Noah cleared his throat and all three looked up at him. The looks on their faces only hardened the ever-growing lump in his stomach.

"Kurt…"

"Noah, good morning!" Kurt interrupted, almost a too cheerful way. "We are just having some coffee, would you care to join us?"

"Where's Rachel?" Noah asked, shifting his weight from foot to foot.

"Um… she's out." Kurt replied. "Coffee?"

"Out where?"

"Just… out. Rebecca is still sleeping. Those kids stayed up quite late."

"Oh… I…" Noah started, feeling slightly guilty now that he wasn't worried about his own daughter and knew that he had left her in Kurt's care while trying to console Rachel.

"Well actually," Sarah said, "I took care of her, but it was no trouble at all. What's another kid?" She laughed and her husband gave her a "please no" look.

"Wow, thank you. I'm sorry about that. I just went to see how she was doing and we… uh…" Noah didn't know how to finish that sentence.

Kurt merely smiled and nodded. "I understand. We all did. Shortly after your argument… yes we heard," Kurt said as Noah gave him a troubled look, "Well, needless to say Quinn and Finn's presence sucked the life out of the party. They came in to give their greetings, but I suppose the lack of Rachel and yourself dulled their moment of presence and they left. After that, well everyone else left. Talk about a party…" He finished sarcastically. "Never has any one of my parties been as shameful as that. I suppose the New Year's party will have to be over the top."

Noah smiled meekly and moved around to sit down on the sofa. "Well, I'm sorry about all that. It all just… got out of control. But, Kurt… you said Rachel was out. But her luggage is gone. Where is she?"

Kurt didn't meet his gaze and simply stared into his coffee mug as he began, "Rachel woke up early this morning. She came in my room at about 3am, crying. I couldn't really get out what she was saying, but I could understand from her was that she wanted to go home. To New York." When Noah opened his mouth, Kurt held up a hand to stop him from speaking and continued, "She said she had booked a flight at 6 am and asked me to drive her to the airport. I got back about 20 minutes ago. All she said was for me to tell you that she is sorry."

"Sorry?" Noah repeated dumbly.

Kurt nodded and looked at the former football player. He noticed how tired he looked just then, as if all the life and happiness was sucked from his body. Kurt could see Noah's heart breaking right before his eyes. "She also said that she'll always love you, but she doesn't feel like she belongs here anymore. Noah, I'm so sorry."

"Sorry." Noah repeated again. He stood up and ran his hand over his mohawk. "Sorry. Yeah, well… me too." And with that Noah got off the couch and without a word went to the basement, where he believed Rebecca was sleeping. Her dark curls fanned out across the pillow gave her away and he stepped quietly over to her. Noah bent down and swept the hair off her face. Rebecca stirred. "Hey Bug. It's time to go home now okay?"

Rebecca groaned and rolled over in her sleep. Noah sighed, hanging his head. A million thoughts and emotions were raging through his body. He just wanted to hit something or yell or cry or do all three. He couldn't believe her! He couldn't believe that she would just leave without saying goodbye to him. What did she have to be so god damn selfish! And what the hell did she mean when she said she didn't belong here. Of course she does. _'But…' _whispers a small voice in the back of his mind. _'Does she really? She is a Broadway star after all.' _He felt his eyes grow wet and a burning sensation run down his throat. He'd be damned if he cried in front of Rebecca. He clenched his jaws for a few moments to let the feeling pass and then pulled back the covers, snaked his arms under and around Rebecca's sleeping form and lifted her up.

He carried her up the stairs and out into the hallway, where Kurt helped him out the door, carrying their coats. Once Noah got Rebecca in her car seat, he threw her coat over her legs and looked back to Kurt.

"Noah… is there anything I can do?"

Noah just shook his head. "Thanks for the party." And with that, he grabbed his coat from Kurt, got into his truck and drove home. Noah glanced in the review mirror and could have sworn he said Kurt wipe his face, as if he was crying.

But Noah didn't care. Because he was the one who felt like crying, as if his soul had been ripped into thousands of unrecognizable shards of what use to be Noah Puckerman.

**A/N: I know it's short! But I thought it would be better to give you something! Again, review! What are your thoughts?**


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